Richard Blenkinsop
After spending a decade in music retail, I’m now a freelance writer for Guitar World, MusicRadar, Guitar Player and Reverb, specialising in electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and almost anything else you can make a tune with. When my head’s not buried in the best of modern and vintage gear, I run a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance, and I play bass in an alt-rock band.
Latest articles by Richard Blenkinsop

Best overdrive pedals 2025: explore which drive pedal is right for you
By Alex Lynham last updated
Overdrive is one of the most essential guitar effects pedals. These are our top picks for every budget

Best humbucker pickups 2025: buck up your guitar with mellow lows and punchy mids
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
From PAF replicas to modern day active tone monsters, our experts pick the best humbucker pickups on offer right now

Best Klon clones 2025: Our pick of the best Klon Centaur Klones for every budget
By Alex Lynham last updated
From straight-up klones to full reimaginings, here are some of the best Klon Centaur-inspired pedals on the market today

Best acoustic bass guitars 2025: Unplug and play with our pick of top acoustic basses
By Chris Corfield last updated
Our expert guide to the best acoustic bass guitars will instantly boost your low-end game, and enable you to play at home or on the go

Best bass compressor pedals 2025: our pick of pedals to get your low-end in line
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
We look at the best compressors for bass, from some of the biggest names around including Origin Effects, Empress Effects, Boss, and more

Best high-end electric guitars 2025: the finest guitars money can buy
By Simon Fellows last updated
If money were no object, this is the all-star list of high-end axes from Gibson, PRS, Fender, and more that you’ll want in your collection

Best Squier guitars 2025: Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jaguars and more for the budget-conscious player
By Rob Laing last updated
From budget Teles, to vintage-spec’d Strats, we look at the best Squiers available today

Best amp modelers 2025: rack-mounted and floorboard options for every budget
By Alex Lynham last updated
Want a bunch of amp sounds packed into one unit? Start your research with our pick of the best amp modelers for guitarists

Best budget bass guitars 2025: our top pick of basses under $500/£500
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
Need to tackle the low-end on a budget? Not to worry, our experts have run the rule over our favourite bass guitars that come in under $500/£500

Best guitars for small hands 2025: compact, thinline and slim-necked options for all ages
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
Our pick of compact electric and acoustic models from Fender, Taylor, Epiphone and more

Fender amps explained: from tubes to modeling, here's everything you need to know about Fender amplifiers
By Richard Blenkinsop published
On the hunt for a new amp? Here's our guided tour of everything Fender has to offer when it comes to guitar amps

Everything you need to know about guitar cables – from what they’re made of to how they work
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Get to know the science behind your guitar cables’ operation and the additional factors that can have an impact on cable performance

Best nylon guitar strings 2025: top picks from D'Addario, La Bella, Ernie Ball and more
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Warm and mellow to bright and snappy; we look at the best nylon guitar strings on offer

Best reverb pedals 2025: from spring to shimmer, these are our top picks for your pedalboard
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
Take a deep dive into the cavernous world of 'verb and explore the best reverb pedals for every budget

ESP vs LTD Guitars: What's the difference?
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Looking for a capable guitar for playing rock or metal? We explore the history, spec and tone characteristics of ESP and its affordable sub-brand LTD

5 Fender signature guitars you need to try – and 5 we can't believe they haven't made yet
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Our pick of Fender artist collaborations, plus the five players whose autographs we’d like to see adorning signature guitars in the future

Best guitar wireless systems 2025: set your playing free, from the rehearsal room to the stage
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
Fed up with cumbersome cables? Here's our pick of the best wireless guitar systems for every budget

Flatwound vs roundwound bass strings: What’s the difference?
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Mellow and warm or bright and snappy? We look at the key differences between flatwound and roundwound bass strings

“You might not be fooled into thinking it’s a tube amp, but it’s close enough for silent practice”: Blackstar amPlug 2 FLY review
By Richard Blenkinsop published
An affordable silent practice tool with three channels and three effects that covers ground for all guitarists

“If you’re a rock or metal guitarist looking to up your game, then JTC Guitar is an incredible resource”: JTC Guitar review
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Some of the best video content out there to help rock and metal players hone their craft

Fender's guitar models explained: we break down the entire Fender line-up from Player to Custom Shop
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Get to know your Jazzmasters from your Jags and your Players from your Performers with our breakdown of the vast Fender catalog

Best budget delay pedals 2025: Get echo and slapback for not much greenback
By Richard Blenkinsop published
From analog to digital, we check out the best cheap delay pedals to upgrade your 'board for less

“It delivers a lot of the classic Stingray sound and it plays like a dream”: Sterling By Music Man SUB Series Stingray Ray4 review
By Richard Blenkinsop published
The most affordable take on the Stingray might just be one of the greatest budget basses money can buy

Should you play guitar with a pick or fingers? We weigh up the tone and technique benefits of both approaches
By Richard Blenkinsop published
Use what you’re born with, or stick with a pick? We take a close look at the tones and techniques associated with playing guitar and bass with fingers and pick
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!