Chris Vinnicombe

Chris Vinnicombe worked with us here on the MusicRadar team from the site's initial launch way back in 2007, and also contributed to Guitarist magazine as Features Editor until 2014, as well as Total Guitar magazine, amongst others. These days he can be found at Gibson Guitars, where he is editor-in-chief.

Latest articles by Chris Vinnicombe

"I had lived in London for a couple of years, but I had never really seen the dark underbelly of it,” – how Ed Sheeran wrote his breakthrough song, The A Team

By Chris Vinnicombe published 5 April 23

Song stories: how a Christmas gig at a homeless shelter provided bittersweet inspiration

Guitars

Ronnie Wood interview: dear diary

By Chris Vinnicombe last updated 26 August 22

Life before he was a Face

Guitarists

The story of Nirvana's Nevermind

By Chris Vinnicombe published 24 September 21

The making of a landmark album

Singles And Albums

Classic Interview: Ed Sheeran's bad guitar habits – “The first song I ever learned to play on the guitar was Layla by Eric Clapton. I used to know all the solos for Guns N’ Roses songs”

By Chris Vinnicombe last updated 28 July 21

In this interview from 2012, the pop megastar shares his secret to finding warm acoustics, talks Lego and Yazoo milk, and explains how rapping like Snoop can keep a crowd onside

Guitarists

Peavey's AmpKit app and AmpKit LiNK interface

iPhone amp modelling arms race escalates!

By Chris Vinnicombe last updated 7 April 21

AmpliTube goes live on the App Store, Peavey launches AmpKit

Guitar Amps

Washburn Custom Shop to launch Nuno Bettencourt N7 seven-string

By Chris Vinnicombe last updated 6 July 20

Extreme guitarist's signature model gets extra string

Guitars

The ES-335 is finished in a satin cherry-coloured lacquer - the official spec describes it as 'Faded Cherry'

Gibson Memphis ES-335 Satin 2015

By Chris Vinnicombe published 21 May 15

Satin-finished take on the classic thinline semi-acoustic

Acoustic Guitars

The ML6 represents an elegant collision of classic designs from the golden era of the electric guitar

Fano Alt de Facto ML6

By Chris Vinnicombe published 13 April 15

Launched earlier this year at the NAMM show, the ML6 is the latest addition to the Pennsylvania luthier Dennis Fano's Alt de Facto range

Electric Guitars

The Deluxe HSS Shawbucker is another example of Fender's ongoing attempts to reclaim the 'Superstrat'

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS Shawbucker

By Chris Vinnicombe published 24 March 15

Strat with a Tim Shaw-designed humbucker

Electric Guitars

This is a contemporary hardtail Strat with a 70s flavour rather than a slavish reissue

Fender Ltd Ed American Vintage '70s Hardtail Stratocaster

By Chris Vinnicombe published 23 March 15

This 70s Hardtail Strat feels like a nod to an era rather than an attempt to create a period-correct replica

Electric Guitars

When is a Tele not a Tele? Despite the decals on the headstock and body outline, there's very little tonal crossover here

Fender American Standard Telecaster HH

By Chris Vinnicombe published 11 February 15

A riff-ready Tele

Electric Guitars

The Strat HH offers the blend of vintage and modern features that characterises the American Standard range

Fender American Standard Stratocaster HH

By Chris Vinnicombe published 10 February 15

A humbucker-heavy Strat

Electric Guitars

The Wobble control dials in random modulations akin to manually varying tape speed

Strymon Deco

By Chris Vinnicombe published 25 January 15

You have only to turn on the radio to notice that mainstream pop and indie guitar playing is more textural and less 'rock' than ever. Enter the Strymon Deco

Guitar Pedals

The AA-grade maple top typifies the Standard's high-quality feel

Gibson 2015 Les Paul Standard

By Chris Vinnicombe, Dave Burrluck published 9 January 15

For 2015, Gibson's annual makeover of the Les Paul Standard is more radical than ever. We take a close look at the latest iteration of the firm's flagship solid body model...

Electric Guitars

The body is weight-relieved and finished in an attractive Wine Red nitro gloss

Gibson 2015 Les Paul Deluxe

By Chris Vinnicombe, Dave Burrluck published 7 January 15

The new line-up of Gibson's USA production guitars is full of change. Are you ready?

Electric Guitars

The Kennedys: Pete with this wife Maura.

Pete Kennedy talks Teles, Chet and rare Gibsons

By Chris Vinnicombe published 12 November 14

The country/bluegrass pro tells all

Artists

DigiTech announces the Polara compact reverb pedal

By Chris Vinnicombe published 6 November 14

Small footprint, big ambience

Guitar Pedals

Predictably, perhaps - given its control setup - the Short Scale Stratocaster looks a little crammed

Fender Modern Player Short Scale Stratocaster

By Chris Vinnicombe published 3 October 14

Fender's chefs have added an intriguing new starter to the menu. Will the smaller proportions of this Modern Player satisfy, or leave us hungry for a full-scale portion?

Electric Guitars

It's only a five per cent reduction in size - but it makes for a much more compact feel

Fender Modern Player Short Scale Telecaster

By Chris Vinnicombe published 26 September 14

With miniaturisation abundant in the workshops of amplifier and effects pedal engineers the world over, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to find The Big F getting involved

Electric Guitars