Reviews "Having played through Friedman's amps, I'd say the IR-X captures their very useable foundations…" Why you need to check out this new tube amp and pedal combo Review: the Friedman IR-X Dual Tube Preamp and IR Pedal "A reminder of just how far ahead of the curve Leo Fender was in 1950": Here's why the Vintera II series guitars sound as good as they look Reviewed: Vintera II ’50s, Jazzmaster ’60s, Telecaster and ’70s Mustang. “More than enough firepower to keep up with a heavy-fisted drummer…” The high-tech, hard-rocking Soldano Astro-20 amp reviewed This great-sounding, future-proofed high-gain tube amp wins an Editors’ Pick award for its power, features and flexibility Latest Reviews “A little badass: ideal for a bit of bottom-end grooving without the weight of a full-scale bass or amp”: The junior-sized Martin DJR-10E acoustic bass reviewed By Jimmy Leslie published 25 January 24 Perfect for players with small hands or working out bass parts on the fly, the great-sounding, cute-looking and affordable Martin DFR-10E Bass packs a ton of fun into just 24 inches “An analogue powerhouse with surprising versatility…” The Benson Delay pedal reviewed By Dave Hunter published 20 January 24 The award-winning Benson Delay pedal has near limitless note bending and sounds fantastic Excellent playability, affordability and “fabulous amplified acoustic tone”: Fender’s latest Highway Series’ Parlor and Dreadnought guitars reviewed By Jimmy Leslie published 19 January 24 Discover why the Highway Series is an excellent crossover option for players who want a killer acoustic stage sound from an instrument with the playability of an electric guitar Based on a prized guitar from Bonamassa’s vintage collection, The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom is an obvious choice for anyone who’s been priced out of the market for a vintage Gibson By Art Thompson published 19 January 24 ”The SG Custom was a class act back in the day, and Epiphone’s latest version is every bit as appealing”: The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom reviewed The Martin GPCE Inception Maple is state of the art in a market where a cutaway used to be considered outrageous – but is it any good? Oh yes… By Jimmy Leslie published 18 January 24 The latest and greatest incarnation of Martin’s “openly vivacious” Grand Performance sets a new benchmark with its gorgeous design, honeycombed bracing and maple back and sides Shelved for 15 years of tinkering, Totally Wycked Audio's homage to the early ’70s Maestro Bass Brassmaster, the Krytical Mass KM-01 Reactive Octave Fuzz, is finally here. And it's totally Wycked… By Art Thompson published 8 January 24 Totally Wycked Audio's Krytical Mass KM-01 Reactive Octave Fuzz is modern, but with a vintage soul and if you're a fuzz fanatic this stompbox has to be high on your audition list The quest for amps and speakers that can reproduce all that DSP-generated guitar tone as sound waves has yet to produce a clear winner: Could Fender's new Tone Master Pro FR-10 cab be the one? By Dave Hunter published 6 January 24 Fender’s first full-range, flat-response Tone Master Pro FR-10 powered cab is super-affordable and just what fans have been waiting for “The thick, punchy stereo sound from this rig simply rocks”: the Two Notes Torpedo Captor X SE is a cleverly designed unit that offers an incredible range of sound from a brick-sized box. And there are only 450 of them… By Dave Hunter published 5 January 24 As a sound-crafting alternative to cabs and mics, Two Notes’ amazingly versatile Torpedo Captor X SE is a hard act to beat– and there are only 450 are available… Believe the hype: The long-awaited Fender Tone Master Pro is one of the best-sounding, most powerful and easiest to use guitar processors ever and a worthy Editors’ Pick Award winner By Dave Hunter published 4 January 24 Been waiting to get in on the guitar modeling craze? There's never been a better time to jump onboard thanks to the incredibly versatile and adaptable Fender Tone Master Pro The iconic Batwing-shaped axe made famous by Soundgarden: the new Guild Polara Kim Thayil Signature reviewed By Art Thompson published 8 December 23 Hard rock guitarists will be rushing to get their hands on this new affordable, signature version of the S-100 Polara from China 123456789Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors MOST READ1How Noel Gallagher and Beck helped bring the Black Keys' latest funky full-length, Ohio Players, to life2Best amp modelers 2024: Get your dream guitar tone with our top picks3Best overdrive pedals 2024: Strap in, it's time to drive4“A lot of times when someone says, ‘They have good technique, but there’s something missing,’ what’s actually missing is part of the technique”: Paul Gilbert on the essentials of great guitar playing5Dickey Betts on dueling with Duane Allman, and composing Allman Brothers' biggest hit
“A little badass: ideal for a bit of bottom-end grooving without the weight of a full-scale bass or amp”: The junior-sized Martin DJR-10E acoustic bass reviewed By Jimmy Leslie published 25 January 24 Perfect for players with small hands or working out bass parts on the fly, the great-sounding, cute-looking and affordable Martin DFR-10E Bass packs a ton of fun into just 24 inches
“An analogue powerhouse with surprising versatility…” The Benson Delay pedal reviewed By Dave Hunter published 20 January 24 The award-winning Benson Delay pedal has near limitless note bending and sounds fantastic
Excellent playability, affordability and “fabulous amplified acoustic tone”: Fender’s latest Highway Series’ Parlor and Dreadnought guitars reviewed By Jimmy Leslie published 19 January 24 Discover why the Highway Series is an excellent crossover option for players who want a killer acoustic stage sound from an instrument with the playability of an electric guitar
Based on a prized guitar from Bonamassa’s vintage collection, The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom is an obvious choice for anyone who’s been priced out of the market for a vintage Gibson By Art Thompson published 19 January 24 ”The SG Custom was a class act back in the day, and Epiphone’s latest version is every bit as appealing”: The Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom reviewed
The Martin GPCE Inception Maple is state of the art in a market where a cutaway used to be considered outrageous – but is it any good? Oh yes… By Jimmy Leslie published 18 January 24 The latest and greatest incarnation of Martin’s “openly vivacious” Grand Performance sets a new benchmark with its gorgeous design, honeycombed bracing and maple back and sides
Shelved for 15 years of tinkering, Totally Wycked Audio's homage to the early ’70s Maestro Bass Brassmaster, the Krytical Mass KM-01 Reactive Octave Fuzz, is finally here. And it's totally Wycked… By Art Thompson published 8 January 24 Totally Wycked Audio's Krytical Mass KM-01 Reactive Octave Fuzz is modern, but with a vintage soul and if you're a fuzz fanatic this stompbox has to be high on your audition list
The quest for amps and speakers that can reproduce all that DSP-generated guitar tone as sound waves has yet to produce a clear winner: Could Fender's new Tone Master Pro FR-10 cab be the one? By Dave Hunter published 6 January 24 Fender’s first full-range, flat-response Tone Master Pro FR-10 powered cab is super-affordable and just what fans have been waiting for
“The thick, punchy stereo sound from this rig simply rocks”: the Two Notes Torpedo Captor X SE is a cleverly designed unit that offers an incredible range of sound from a brick-sized box. And there are only 450 of them… By Dave Hunter published 5 January 24 As a sound-crafting alternative to cabs and mics, Two Notes’ amazingly versatile Torpedo Captor X SE is a hard act to beat– and there are only 450 are available…
Believe the hype: The long-awaited Fender Tone Master Pro is one of the best-sounding, most powerful and easiest to use guitar processors ever and a worthy Editors’ Pick Award winner By Dave Hunter published 4 January 24 Been waiting to get in on the guitar modeling craze? There's never been a better time to jump onboard thanks to the incredibly versatile and adaptable Fender Tone Master Pro
The iconic Batwing-shaped axe made famous by Soundgarden: the new Guild Polara Kim Thayil Signature reviewed By Art Thompson published 8 December 23 Hard rock guitarists will be rushing to get their hands on this new affordable, signature version of the S-100 Polara from China