Latest articles by David Mead
“Plentiful bass, well rounded trebles, bags of toneful volume”: Atkin Dust Bowl 0012S & 00014 review
Alister Atkin’s UK workshop pays homage to the stripped-back, no-frills instruments that were available in the USA nearly a century ago when money was tight but roots music was blooming
“The house was on fire”: How Steve Hill cheated death then found redemption at Foo Fighters’ Studio 606
Hill survived two road traffic accidents and a house fire, but through grief and cracked ribs he made it, got his new record in the can, and this is its story
Steve Hill on the time he recorded at Foo Fighters’ studio – and broke Chris Shiflett’s prized Fender Princeton
Hill’s experience of recording at the Foo Fighters’ legendary Studio 606 turned into a costly endeavor
Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy spills his tone (and drop tuning) secrets – and why he doesn’t like brand-new guitars
Whatever you do, don’t lend Kennedy your brand-new 10 Top PRS, but do check out his new solo album, The Art of Letting Go, which he promises us is a “a rock ’n’ roll record – a lot of loud guitars”
How Yamaha evolved its TransAcoustic tech to create an acoustic guitar with an onboard delay and looper
After experiencing the enhanced version of TransAcoustic tech with the TAG3 C, we spoke to Yamaha’s European product specialist, Dan Stock, to learn more
“Quite possibly the ultimate busker’s tool”: Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic review
Yamaha has expanded its TransAcoustic concept to include more onboard effects, including delay and looping, with fine-tuning and the option to play backing tracks via a dedicated smartphone app
Gordon Giltrap on why Bert Jansch changed his life – and how he ended up with the folk icon’s ’70s acoustic
It's no exaggeration to say that hearing Jansch forever changed Gordon Giltrap. Now that he owns Jansch's guitar, it has offered him a unique perspective on his hero...
Myles Kennedy names the “secret sauce” stompbox he thinks every guitar player should own
The Alter Bridge icon used the sub-$200 octave fuzz pedal on his recent solo record
“How good is a guitar that breaks down into three parts going to sound? As it happens, we were in for a pleasant surprise”: Furch Little Jane LJ 10-SM review
Furch’s travel guitar folds down so you can transport it in its own custom backpack and, the company claims, it returns to pitch when you reassemble it. Innovation or gimmick?
“Cort really is to be congratulated once again for delivering on its Masterpiece promise”: Cort Abstract Delta and Modern Black review
Two acoustics from Cort’s China-based workshop that couldn’t be further apart in style, from the traditional overtones of the Abstract Delta, to the more contemporary Modern Black
“Extremely well-made guitars… bags of character”: Auden 632 Series Chester 000 and Bowman OM review
A new series of short-scale acoustics joins the ranks at Auden – complete with a very smart soundhole preamp
Up close with the 1974 Les Paul Custom that Ian Bairnson used to play the solo on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights – with his arm in a cast
When he tracked Wuthering Heights, Bairnson had a broken wrist, his arm in plaster, but as Pilot bandmate David Paton says, that wouldn't stop a man like him
“Both these guitars tick practically all the boxes”: Furch Vintage Pure & Violet Deluxe SM review
This pair of finely crafted acoustics from the lower end of the Czech Republic maker’s price band may look simple and stripped back, but they’re fully loaded with tone
Tele loyalist Joanne Shaw Taylor on rewiring her playing with Les Pauls and conquering ADHD in the studio
New album Heavy Soul finds JST pushing her vocals to new limits and pushing tube amps beyond their limits, and it cements her rep as one of the great blues players of our time
Darrel Higham on Gretsch, gear regrets, and what a 21st century rockabilly ace needs in their rig
A stolen treasured Gretsch and an unexpected love/hate relationship with White Falcons are all part of this rock ’n’ roller’s life in gear
“The build quality and voice of a fully fledged professional instrument”: McNally S-32 review
Despite its membership in McNally’s entry-level range, this small-bodied guitar’s spec sheet reads more like an instrument from the major league. Is it as good as it sounds? Let’s find out…
DeWolff’s Pablo van de Poel on the quest to land his literal dream guitar
The Dutch psych-rock maestro checks in to show us his guitars and in the process makes us A) want a Firebird and B) wonder if it's time to have three fuzz pedals on our pedalboards
Joanne Shaw Taylor briefly switched to Les Pauls – and it dramatically improved her guitar playing
Joanna Shaw Taylor is a self-confessed Fender Tele aficionado, but switching to Les Pauls taught her a valuable lesson
“Amazing in practically every respect”: Epiphone 1942 Banner J-45, 1957 SJ-200 and J-180 LS review
Following on from the excellent ‘Inspired By Gibson Custom Shop’ electrics come three high-spec acoustic electrics from the Epiphone brand. How do they measure up?
Inside the Bernie Marsden guitar auction, featuring Squier Strats, a Greeny-esque ES-335 and more
An epic collection of the former Whitesnake member’s guitars, amps and other highly collectable gear has just gone under the hammer – and we got up close and personal with his prized possessions
Taylor Guitars' Andy Powers and Bob Taylor on pushing the envelope of acoustic design
As Taylor Guitars clocks up its 50th year in business, we talk to current CEO and master builder Andy Powers and co-founder Bob Taylor about the current state of the acoustic building industry
It may not be flashy, but Mike Dawes’ acoustic rig is truly mind-bending
A new album, a collaboration with Periphery and a touring schedule that would make many artists weep are all in a day’s work for Mike Dawes, one of the world’s foremost percussive guitar specialists
“I bought a 1964 Vox AC30 for £300 from a friend whose partner had died. She knew it was worth a lot more, but she wanted me to have it as a memory of him”: Troy Redfern on his most emotional gear finds and his biggest guitar-buying mistakes
The one-man blues-rock maelstrom explains why Gold Foil pickups are “the best‑sounding pickup across the board” for him, and how he became a “complete casualty” of Steve Vai’s Passion and Warfare
Folk great John Smith on his life-changing Mulecaster experience and why the Quad Cortex isn’t just for metalheads
As the influential UK folk guitarist gears up to take his new album, The Living Kind, out on the road, he joins us to explain how a shift in his gear and writing process has had a profound effect on his music
