10 extraordinary synths that are almost certainly out of your price range
If money were no object, what new synthesizers could you buy? We draw up our wish list of current big-bucks contenders
Artists
Fender releases the Brian Fallon ’59 Telecaster Custom, a high-end replica of the guitar that built the Gaslight Anthem sound
The Brian Fallon '59 Telecaster Custom has Righteous Sound “Fourth Man” pickups, Dual Stack wiring, a Journeyman Relic finish and an eye-watering price tag
Mike Dean shows off his "crazy rare" wavetable synth that everyone wanted in the '80s
The super-producer and analogue aficionado praises the "messed up" sound of the PPG Wave 2.3, one of the few digital synths in his extensive collection
The Primitives' PJ Court on his live TV guitar tone fail during a performance of hit single, Crash
The song had a "second life" after it was reworked and included in Dumb and Dumber
Billie Eilish explains why her brother Finneas had become a "Rapunzel" figure in her touring band
“Finneas and I thought it would be an underrated song. It was one of my favorites, but I was like, ‘This isn’t gonna be the hit"
“That song killed Styx. It was truly awful”: The synth-rock anthem that sold a million but derailed a superstar rock band
“It was dismissed by so many people because it was so doggone catchy and clever,” the singer claimed
13 Comments
Taylor Swift moves to trademark her voice and likeness in a bid to shake off the bots and protect her big reputation
There will be no unauthorised Life of AI Showgirl, it seems
“Don’t just fund problems, fix them”: Music Venue Trust launches small venue upgrade programme
This is where that £1 arena show levy has been going
Music Tech
10 extraordinary synths that are almost certainly out of your price range
If money were no object, what new synthesizers could you buy? We draw up our wish list of current big-bucks contenders
Mike Dean shows off his "crazy rare" wavetable synth that everyone wanted in the '80s
The super-producer and analogue aficionado praises the "messed up" sound of the PPG Wave 2.3, one of the few digital synths in his extensive collection
Focusrite's ISA C8X brings the ISA preamp to an audio interface for the first time
Equipped with two ISA mic preamps based on Rupert Neve's original designs, ISA C8X fuses classic sound with a modernized workflow
The revolutionary history of Chinese synths
This is the complete history of China’s synthesizer industry, from Cultural Revolution to globalisation
Taylor Swift moves to trademark her voice and likeness in a bid to shake off the bots and protect her big reputation
There will be no unauthorised Life of AI Showgirl, it seems
How to master virtually any software synth
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument
Jimmy Jam on sampling, AI and his new EastWest drum machine plugin
Alongside co-producer Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam shaped the sound of the '80s and '90s. Now he’s got the future in his sights
5 vintage 1980s synths that cost less than a holiday
You won't need a loan for some of these classic synths, but terms and conditions still apply
“An undeniable classic, for the modern age”: Rhodes MK8 review
The new Rhodes electric piano is no longer a vintage curio from the '70s and '80s. We play the new MK8, with all of its FX and MIDI finery
Best headphones for digital piano 2026: over-ear options for every budget
Our pick of digital piano headphones with a focus on audio performance and comfort
Guitars
"For blues players and fingerstyle enthusiasts especially, it’s hard to imagine a better-suited companion": Gibson L-00 Century 12-Fret review
Gibson harkens back to its past with a 12-fret version of an acoustic classic
Fender releases the Brian Fallon ’59 Telecaster Custom, a high-end replica of the guitar that built the Gaslight Anthem sound
The Brian Fallon '59 Telecaster Custom has Righteous Sound “Fourth Man” pickups, Dual Stack wiring, a Journeyman Relic finish and an eye-watering price tag
With less than 24 hours left to go in Guitar Center's massive Guitar-A-Thon sale, this is your last chance to grab up to 30% discounts across the board - including $700 off a beautiful Gibson Les Paul
Here are 11 of the best deals still available in the Guitar-A-Thon, with the sale set to end on April 29th
“It was traumatic": Paul McCartney’s driver on how he felt when Macca’s beloved Hofner was stolen
But it turned up 51 years later
![Oliver Ackermann [left] playing on a red-lit stage and Richard Fortus playing his White Falcon live with Guns N' Roses](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CcjY3C3kpgNSN94DKEHuGX-840-80.jpg.webp)
Death By Audio’s Oliver Ackermann on the time he sold a pedal to Richard Fortus and disaster struck
Oliver Ackermann is great at making guitar effects – less so at parking
How Greta Van Fleet's Jake Kiszka met the Beloved – the ’61 SG Les Paul that became his talisman
With Gibson releasing a signature model inspired by his SG, Kiszka explains how he found his dream guitar – and admits he is a dangerous man to take guitar shopping
MusicRadar deals of the week: We've found $200 off a stylish Gibson SG, $100 off an affordable Martin acoustic, hearty discounts on studio headphones and much more
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Gibson, PRS, Yamaha, Fender and more
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2026? I’m a professional guitar gear reviewer and these are my highest-rated lessons platforms
My expert pick of the best online guitar courses will supercharge your playing wherever you are, and whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
The Rage Against the Machine axe-man’s most memorable moment saw him emulate a DJ scratch breakdown using a trick that few have fully mastered
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
Guitar Tricks is our number one online tuition platform for guitar players
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
With over 84,000 lessons at your disposal, this is one of the best value guitar tuition subscriptions online right now
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
Latest Tuition
How to master virtually any software synth
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"Record everything all the time – and keep it all": 8 pro techno producers explain how they create their tracks
We delve into our In The Studio archive to compile the techno secrets behind releases on esteemed labels including Drumcode, Cocoon, Dekmantel, Second State and more
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
How to pan like a pro and spread your mix across the stereo image
We help you broaden your mixing horizons with some useful tips for panning perfection
The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
Adding small or even large amounts of saturation doesn’t have to be bad for you, as we explore how to singe your sonics
How to conjure the spirit of early techno and trigger your own retro zaps in software
How a sound design approach originally deployed for television effects became an electronic music staple - and how to make it yourself
How to replicate the trailblazing pulse of I Feel Love
I Feel Love’s innovative electronic rhythm section set the stage for pretty much everything that followed, and here’s how you can recreate its bewitching energy in your DAW
Improve the impact of your basslines by quickly learning the basics of bass compression
Creating the perfect foundation for your track begins just the right amount of compression for your bass - here’s how to not overdo it!
How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture
The former One Direction star’s latest effort is a far cry from his previous output
How close listening to Chic can teach us about the integral relationship between the kick and bass
If you want to add more punch to your production, start at the foundation of your track, with the kick and bass
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
How unquantizing your tracks can make them stand out from the AI-dominated crowd
If your music is sounding a little mechanical, maybe it deserves a sprinkle of organic nurturing. We invite you to un-click the quantize!
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
In our latest video tutorial, we explore how to use Live generative MIDI tools and hardware-inspired sequencers to create riffs and patterns
7 great house and techno tips from Don’t Be Afraid label boss Semtek (aka DJ Persuasion)
The producer, DJ and founder of one of the UK's most respected underground labels revisits a 2012 release to explore what he's learned in 15 years of releasing house and techno
Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
With insight from Paul Gilbert, John 5, Adam Dutkiewicz and Marty Friedman on their approaches to the recording process
37 heavyweight bass production tips
More than three dozen priceless nuggets of bass recording and production wisdom
Latest Reviews
"For blues players and fingerstyle enthusiasts especially, it’s hard to imagine a better-suited companion": Gibson L-00 Century 12-Fret review
Gibson harkens back to its past with a 12-fret version of an acoustic classic
“An undeniable classic, for the modern age”: Rhodes MK8 review
The new Rhodes electric piano is no longer a vintage curio from the '70s and '80s. We play the new MK8, with all of its FX and MIDI finery
“An excellent addition to the 64 Audio product line, bringing their excellent build quality and design to a more affordable price point”: 64 Audio Aspire series review
There’s an enticing new offering from in-ear leaders 64 Audio and we have three of the models on the test bench
“The ability to save multiple scenes for content creation, podcasting, and other creative endeavours makes it a very powerful interface indeed”: Yamaha URX44V review
Yamaha’s newest interface offers a high-tech hub for the multi-hyphenate creator
"Danelectro’s finishing falls noticeably short of what the market now expects at this level": Danelectro Dan O. Cool 12 String
Plenty of Dano charm in the tone department, it's just a pity about the build
“It’s easy to use, packs a tiny footprint and looks to counter two of the biggest drawbacks of going sans cable”: Blackstar AirWire i58 review
The affordable British brand enters the wireless market with an anti-intereference trick up its sleeve
“Easily one of the most inspirational and accessible Elektrons we've used”: Elektron Tonverk review
With a depth and flexibility you'll want to abuse…
“It feels more like a DIY creator building something weird for themselves”: Beetronix Pollinator Hazee Delay
A modern throwback to the 'try anything' experimental days of the boutique pedal boom
