Jackson gives the Scott Ian King V a classy makeover and puts an old school logo on the headstock
With gold hardware, black finish, this is one ratiugnikufesin – especially at this price
Artists
Jackson gives the Scott Ian King V a classy makeover and puts an old school logo on the headstock
With gold hardware, black finish, this is one ratiugnikufesin – especially at this price
When the Beatles stole the Rolling Stones’ thunder and dropped Hey Jude at the Beggars Banquet launch party
It was supposed to be Jagger’s night - but a stealthy Paul McCartney had other ideas…
PinkPantheress has sampled the cream of '90s and '00s UK electronic music on new mixtape, Fancy That
It's short on length, but heavy on influences
Sonic Youth Reverb store lists Lee Ranaldo’s first guitar and the synth behind his Diamond Sea tone
The Sonic Youth Official Reverb Store is officially open and as Lee Ranaldo explains, it is 100% stocked with Kool Things
Fresh from covering Radiohead, Billie Eilish has now tackled a Coldplay classic
Plus, check out ‘mid-writing process’ versions of the first three songs from her latest album
Watch Pulp drummer Nick Banks join tribute band Pulp’d at Sheffield’s Fake Festival
He had a “blast”, apparently
Is the compressor pedal a country guitar essential? Brad Paisley doesn’t think so – and here’s why
The country virtuoso explains why compression is not an always-on effect for him – and neither is reverb for that matter
Music Tech
Watch Pulp drummer Nick Banks join tribute band Pulp’d at Sheffield’s Fake Festival
He had a “blast”, apparently
Roland's V-Drums go wireless for new simple and seamless WT-10 sensor and DH-10 hub DrumLink system
Adding digital elements to your analogue kit (with zero trailing wires) has never been faster or easier
M-Audio upgrades its M-Track Duo budget audio interface with "pro-quality" converters and USB-C connectivity
The $99 M-Track Duo HD is also available in a Producer Pack bundle with the HD41 headphones and M100 studio condenser mic
“Its robust construction, low self-noise, and ability to emulate a range of classic microphones make it a valuable asset”: Universal Audio SC-1 review
Classy condenser with top-shelf tricks but a bargain price tag
“Your work, your mix, your production: that’s your business card": Motörhead producer Romesh Dodangoda
Grammy-nominated Romesh Dodangoda has worked with Bring Me The Horizon, Funeral For a Friend, Nova Twins and Motörhead. We talk gear, recording techniques and career highlights, and hear his advice for aspiring producers
Serum 2, Pigments 6, Phase Plant, Vital and Massive X: The ultimate soft synth showdown
As Serum 2 shakes up the competition, we pit five of the most powerful, flexible and full-featured synth plugins against each other to find out who comes out on top in 2025
Best field recorders 2025: Top portable recorders for capturing sound on-the-go
From foley and found sound to recording your rehearsals, a field recorder can unlock the sonics that surround us
12 new instruments and effects you need to know about from Superbooth 2025
New synths, drum machines, effects and oddities from the Berlin synth expo
New to synthesis? This free synth plugin can help you learn how it works
Developed by the makers of synth training app Syntorial, Primer can be used to learn the fundamentals without getting bogged down in advanced concepts or distracting additional features
Superbooth 2025: all the latest synth news from Berlin, as it happened
Knob tweakers, assemble!
Guitars
Jackson gives the Scott Ian King V a classy makeover and puts an old school logo on the headstock
With gold hardware, black finish, this is one ratiugnikufesin – especially at this price
Sonic Youth Reverb store lists Lee Ranaldo’s first guitar and the synth behind his Diamond Sea tone
The Sonic Youth Official Reverb Store is officially open and as Lee Ranaldo explains, it is 100% stocked with Kool Things
The Epiphone Dave Grohl DG-335 has just seen its biggest ever discount - this is a call to save a whopping £380 at Andertons
The Foo Fighters frontman's highly-rated Epiphone DG signature just received its biggest ever discount - it's times like these, I'm pleased I waited before making a purchase!
Is the compressor pedal a country guitar essential? Brad Paisley doesn’t think so – and here’s why
The country virtuoso explains why compression is not an always-on effect for him – and neither is reverb for that matter
“So many things in our lives are shuffles”: Francis Rossi on how Status Quo developed their 12 bar boogie
Plus he opens up about what sundered his relationship with Rick Parfitt
Best amp modellers 2025: High-tech tone solutions for all guitarists
Simplify your rig and take your tone anywhere with my pick of the best amp modelling units around
Periphery’s Misha Mansoor on wild baritone tunings, high-gain theory and why he needs guitar lessons
We catch up with the Periphery riff-master to discuss his refreshed Jackson Juggernaut, custom offsets, collabs with Mike Dawes, and why – vintage or modern – good gear is good gear
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Learn the guitar style of the most expressive and accomplished playing The Beatle would ever commit to tape
How to play guitar like David Gilmour: Bluesy diads, slides, quarter-tone blues curls and more
Tackle the expressive phrasing and minor pentatonic tricks of one of rock's finest guitarists, David Gilmour
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
We take a look at two different products that can help you get your frets gleaming and your guitar back to its best for smoother bends and clearer vibrato
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
Key techniques guitar players can learn from the Led Zeppelin legend
How learning and understanding chord symbols can prove a major benefit for sharing your musical ideas
Chord hieroglyphics can take several forms. We unravel the mysteries of one of the most symbolic and common examples
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
My pick of the best online guitar courses will get your playing up to speed from the comfort of your own home, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
Latest Tuition
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
10 music theory tricks every producer and songwriter should know
Spruce up your chords and snazz up those scales with our simple but powerful techniques
“When you want a boring sound to sound rhythmic and exciting - reach for the delay”: How to understand and use delay effectively in your productions
It's one of the most widely used effects for producers, synthesists and guitarists alike, but how does it work?
Want to record some real musicians in your studio? Here’s how to prep for success
One of the biggest learns when becoming a producer is just how you manage - and work with - real musicians.
Here's how to compress your mix bus for sonic punch
What does mix bus compression do, how do you use it, and which compressor should you use?
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Full Bucket FB-3300
Classic synthesizer plugins offer a great entry point for unusual and rare synth designs, and this Korg design is one of the rarest
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Learn the guitar style of the most expressive and accomplished playing The Beatle would ever commit to tape
Technically capable, but struggle to make your tunes sound musical? 5 simple music theory hacks to make your tracks stand out
Level up your music-making with these simple but effective tricks that can be easily used by those with zero knowledge of music theory
Play mono synth properly: the skills you need
How playing mono synths differs from standard keyboards
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Newfangled Audio Pendulate
This free mono synth plugin is creative, chaotic and fun to use. It’s time to go West (Coast)
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
We take a look at two different products that can help you get your frets gleaming and your guitar back to its best for smoother bends and clearer vibrato
“If you don’t have an idea, go mow the lawn": Follow Neil Young’s lead to demolish those frustrating songwriting barriers
It’s true, sometimes working relentlessly on perfecting a song or track that you’re just not feeling can do more harm than good
“It’s tougher and faster than ever”: Jump aboard the modern hardgroove train and learn to build a club-ready beat
Putting together the elements you need to craft a beat that just won't let up
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
Key techniques guitar players can learn from the Led Zeppelin legend
Don't know where to start with virtual instruments? We're here to help
In today's world of music production, pretty much everything you can dream of will have a virtual counterpart. Let's explore
How learning and understanding chord symbols can prove a major benefit for sharing your musical ideas
Chord hieroglyphics can take several forms. We unravel the mysteries of one of the most symbolic and common examples
UA is giving away its 1176 plugin as a Valentine's gift – here's how to get it and use it!
Forget flowers, chocolates or champagne – give your loved one a free vintage compressor plugin instead! Better still, just get it for yourself…
Are all interpretations of songs correct? Kate Bush certainly thinks so
It’s easy to get precious about the true meaning of our creative endeavours, but how much authority do songwriters really have to own the definitive reading of their work?
How Aphex Twin fought the temptation to continually refine, and how we can learn from his example
It’s easy to carry on fiddling with our tracks, but as Richard D. James knows all too well, that urge to keep going can prove a problem
“Maybe I’ll write out five or six chords, then discipline myself to write something only with those chords involved”: Why David Bowie’s restrictive songwriting strategies provide a lesson for us all
Sometimes imposing rules can force us out of our creative comfort zones. It's a tactic David Bowie used to birth some of his most celebrated songs.
Latest reviews
“Its robust construction, low self-noise, and ability to emulate a range of classic microphones make it a valuable asset”: Universal Audio SC-1 review
Classy condenser with top-shelf tricks but a bargain price tag
"A versatile jack-of-all-trades, with some excellent displays of mastery at times": Fender Player II Modified Precision Bass review
Fender’s workhorse-series P-Bass gets some performance-enhancing additions, as well as a tone control that works in passive mode
"This is a guitar that proves affordability can still bring looks that stun": Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT review
Gretsch makes a few tweaks to the G5230T to bring us a variation with more than a little sparkle
“At full throttle, this speaker is capable of delivering room-filling volume without strain”: Alesis Strike Amp 12 MK2 review
This workhorse amplifier has had a rethink, improving specs whilst maintaining the affordable price point that Alesis is known for
“If you’re all about getting as close as possible to period-correct as you can for this price point, then you won’t be disappointed here”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue review
We get hands-on with Epiphone’s ode to one of the most coveted Gibson guitars of all time
“A genuinely fun take on the classic distortion-slash-fuzz pedal”: Soma Laboratory Harvezi Hazze
Soma Labs' foray into guitar pedals adds an element of the unhinged into a classic format
"There’s potential for a degree of chaos here": Cherry Audio Yellowjacket review
The EDP Wasp gets the Cherry Audio treatment
“It has the ingenious ability to give you easy routing to external hardware with no re-patching”: Audient iD48 review
Audient’s iD range gets a new flagship audio interface with a potentially game-changing feature
