Latest articles by Dave Hunter
“Within an iota of perfection”: Any way you choose to look at it, the Florentine Empirial is a stunner
This creation from the Fender Custom Shop’s former principal master builder looks fantastic, and utterly refuses to put any limits on whatever you intend to do with it
Offered by Silvertone and Harmony, the H63 Espanada was the poor man’s Gibson ES-175
Like many of its Silvertone/Harmony siblings, the H63 Espanada makes up for its more corner-cutting features with a sound, vibe, and look all its own
“A sky’s-the-limit modeling environment”: Two Notes Genome review
Meet the impressive new DAW software plugin from digital guitar speaker cab and amp manufacturers Two Notes
“An enjoyable blend of the classic and the hot rod it’s intended to be”: RS Guitarworks Slab Lowboy review
How RS Guitarworks tapped into the Tele aesthetic and emerged with its own distinct P-90-loaded take on the classic formula
Overshadowed by the Les Paul, the Gibson ES-295 brought rock to concert stages in the hands of Scotty Moore
As played by Danny Gatton, Geordie Walker and Johnny Marr, the ES-295 was Gibson’s 'other' gold-finished electric guitar
Silktone Overdrive+ review
The Overdrive+ is a characterful, original, and extremely versatile design that stands out in a sea of overdrives
“The absence of tradition invites players to pick up a Novo without any preconceptions of what the guitar is or what it does”: Novo's Miris J has the feel and vibe of a rediscovered make from the golden age of the electric guitar
Boasting a bespoke Mastery trem, this stylish, beautifully-playing guitar is another winner from Dennis Fano and the Novo stable
“These two models offer well-considered features, and cut a fresh figure in a crowded field”: ToneLounge's Shoreline TVL and 2TV models smoothly blend the old and the new
The latest creations from veteran luthier Brian Swerdfeger play brilliantly, and feature an intriguing trick or two up their sleeves
Reverend Chris Freeman Signature review
Reverend has delivered big-league performance at semi-pro prices for many years – heck, even a couple of decades now – but the Chris Freeman Signature model offers up some hefty surprises nonetheless
How Ibanez turned a knockoff into a knockout with the Artist Model 2617
Forced to stop copying U.S. guitars, Ibanez launched the all-original Artist line and took America by storm
Dr. Z Z-80 Head review
Chime with oomph, shimmer, bloom, and gutsy edge of breakup are the main tricks in the Z-80's toolbox, and it does them with a gloriously musical and inspiring voice
The PRS Custom 24 “Bonni Pink” guitar is a stunning example of Paul Reed Smith's cornerstone model
Dedicated to a longtime PRS employee, the extremely flamey maple top, distinctive finish, and Paul Reed Smith autograph mark this guitar as a rare – and highly alluring – early PRS by any measure
“A three-in-one tribute to the best of British tone”: Carr Amplifiers Bel-Ray review
Steve Carr's latest creation packs the essence of classic British amp tone together with a tremolo that’s out of this world
Stedman PureConnect GP-2 and PK-3 cleaning kits review
The GP-2 and PK-3 provide a very functional means of performing necessary cleaning duties, and their mere presence in your gig bag offers a handy reminder to use them now and then
“The Opus might not displace your Helix, Fractal, Kemper or Quad Cortex, but it offers a lot of good-sounding emulation in a compact and usable package at a fraction of the price”: Two Notes Opus Amp Sim and IR Loader Unit review
There’s a lot of sound and even more flexibility in this little box, and it should prove to be exactly what many guitarists are looking for
“As unusual as this model first presents, it becomes just another guitar once you’ve spent a little time with it, although a distinctive and characterful one”: The EBG-6 Jigsaw Crook is a post-modern masterpiece with tones as distinctive as its looks
This unique build is a very expressive and willing creative tool, and an inspiring guitar by any measure
“With a through-neck, two DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups, an onboard booster preamp, and a fixed adjustable wrap-around bridge, the B.C. Rich Mockingbird was the ultimate hard-rock weapon”: How a small Los Angeles shop changed the rock guitar game
Used by the Runaways’ Lita Ford, the Alice Cooper tandem of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter, Slash, and Aerosmith's Joe Perry, the Mockingbird made the models of the '50s and ’60s look like old hat upon its mid-'70s debut
“Breathtakingly beautiful and strikingly different from just about everything that has come before”: An homage to the original Paisley Tele, Joe Yanuziello's stunning, Japanese paper-adorned Gold Paisley Washi Paper Deluxe is a guitar like no other
With a precision-engineered, modded Bigsby, a trio of Curtis Novak’s Guyatone-style GT-V Tokyo Vintage pickups, and a fascinating blend of Telecaster, Les Paul, Guyatone, and Harmony aesthetics, this gorgeous build has incredible looks and equally incredible tone
“An impressive rethink of the best of early British rock tones”: The Tone King Royalist MkIII 1x12 combo is reviving the attitude of the British invasion
However you slice it, this amp cleverly packages classic British rock tones to suit a wide range of 21st century performance needs
“A fun vintage find that delivers unique and useful sounds”: Gibson’s GA-79RVT combo is an underrated gem – and cheaper than many of its rivals
One of the world’s earliest reverb-equipped combos, the GA-79RVT is a quirky, temperamental beast that nonetheless is capable of producing a wide array of sweet vintage tones
"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
“I thought whatever made me happy’s gonna make everybody happy. I didn’t think it out”: How legendary guitar designer Les Paul bet on the “Black Beauty” in 1954 and lost…
Despite its glammed up features and appearance, Gibson’s “Black Beauty” Les Paul Custom aka “the fretless wonder” was no match against the glitzy Goldtop. Discover its rocky road to guitar greatness
“Lush, evocative and a ton of fun to play with”: Gibson’s new retro-leaning Falcon 5 and Falcon 20 amps pay homage to the rare tweed-era 1961 GA-19RVT and “set a new bar for low-power tone”…
NEW & COOL How Gibson’s latest gorgeous retro-styled Falcon amp duo “recaptures vintage glories”
