
Daryl Robertson
I'm a Senior Deals Writer at MusicRadar, and I'm responsible for writing and maintaining buyer's guides on the site - but that's not all I do. As part of my role, I also scour the internet for the best deals I can find on gear and get hands-on with the products for reviews. My gear reviews have been published in prominent publications, including Total Guitar and Future Music magazine, as well as Guitar World.com. I've also had the privilege of interviewing everyone from Slash to Yungblud, as well as members of Sum 41, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, Feeder, Fever 333 and many more.
I have a massive passion for anything that makes a sound, particularly guitars, pianos, and recording equipment. In a previous life, I worked in music retail, giving advice on all aspects of music creation and selling everything from digital pianos to electric guitars, entire PA systems, and ukuleles. I'm also a fully qualified sound engineer who holds a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay and I have plenty of experience working in various venues around Scotland.
Latest articles by Daryl Robertson

Black Friday is fast approaching, but we think the best deals are happening right now - get $700 off a Gibson Les Paul at Guitar Center
By Daryl Robertson published
Make unbelievable savings on one of the most iconic electric guitars and so much more ahead of Black Friday

Positive Grid has jumped the Black Friday gun by offering up to 50% off a range of amps and software in their Black November Sale – including the Spark 40 back to its lowest price ever
By Daryl Robertson published
With everything from the original Spark to the Mini, Go, Live, and Cab included, you'll want to act fast to get your hands on some of the best desktop amps and modelling software around

MusicRadar deals of the week: The pre-Black Friday sales are rolling in – save hundreds off a new Yamaha piano, a Fender Strat and more
By Daryl Robertson published
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Yamaha, Fender, Korg, TC Electronic and more

Best Christmas gifts for piano players 2025: the ultimate festive gift guide for pianists, covering all budgets
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Treat the piano player in your life this Christmas with our pick of 19 must-have piano items, essential accessories and clever gadgets for every budget

No need to wait for Black Friday; Sweetwater's Beat The Holiday Rush Sale has mega offers like $500 off D'Angelico and over $1,000 off B.C. Rich and Guild
By Daryl Robertson published
With guitar gear and stocking fillers from only $8.80, beat the rush and save big right now at Sweetwater

Don’t wait for Black Friday – right now you can enjoy a massive 15% off all PRS SE guitars from now until Christmas
By Daryl Robertson published
With everything from the Custom 24 to the Silver Sky included, there's something for every type of player in this epic sale

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus gives us the lowdown on his brand-new Fender bass and discloses why he has switched to Neural DSP Quad Cortex
By Daryl Robertson published
The pop-punk bassist discusses his new signature model, what got him interested in Fender basses, what he believes is his greatest riff and more

Guitar Center's Guitar-A-Thon proves guitarists don't need Amazon's Big Deal Days: save up to 35% on gear, including a mind-blowing $430 saving on the D'Angelico Premier Bedford
By Daryl Robertson published
The aptly named Guitar-A-Thon sale is the place to go for an epic six-string related bargain

The Offspring’s Dexter Holland recalls recording the landmark Smash on its 30th anniversary
By Daryl Robertson published
The punk rock frontman also gives us the low-down on the new album SUPERCHARGED chasing down Queen legend Brian May, and issues a come get me plea to Ed Sheeran

Best looper pedals 2025: these are the greatest loop stations for every budget
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
Explore our pick of compact and floorboard loopers from the likes of Boss, TC Electronic, Line 6, and more

"This single-pickup beauty is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guitar that takes no prisoners in the pursuit of great tone": Epiphone Yungblud SG Junior review
By Daryl Robertson published
Epiphone injects some much-needed youngblud into its sprawling artist collection with a contemporary take on a vintage classic

Best electronic keyboards 2025: Our top picks for every budget
By Dave Clews last updated
We round-up the best electronic keyboards for novices through to pros, from Yamaha, Roland, Korg, Nord and more…

“The physicality of the guitar was already making its presence felt – but we guess that's the price of rock stardom”: Harley Benton DC-Custom II 612 review
By Daryl Robertson published
Thomann takes an affordable swing at a bona fide rock icon - but is a sub-£600 double neck too good to be true?

Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: find your next guitar under a grand
By Chris Corfield last updated
Find a great sub $1,000/£1,000 electric guitar for playing rock, metal, blues and beyond

Best DI boxes 2025: A studio and stage staple for acoustic guitar, bass and keyboards
By Daryl Robertson last updated
The DI box is an essential piece of gear and we have high-quality options from Rupert Neve, Tech 21, Fishman, Radial and more

Best distortion pedals 2025: our pick of the top gain stages for guitar
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
Bring the filth with 10 of the best distortion pedals for hard-rock, metal, and beyond

Best Roland digital pianos 2025: Our top pick of digital pianos from across the full Roland range
By Helen Nash last updated
Bag yourself the ultimate digital playing experience with these top-rated Roland pianos - featuring units from the RP, F, HP, DP, Kiyola, LX and GP series

Don't miss your chance to save hundreds off a Gibson SG Standard plus loads more great savings in Thomann's giant 70th anniversary sale
By Daryl Robertson published
With discounts applied to everything from guitars to amps, studio gear and keyboards there’s something for everyone in Thomann's massive birthday sale

Yungblud talks about the inspiration behind his new signature guitar and his mission to save rock 'n' roll
By Daryl Robertson published
Yungblud is the voice of his generation and on a mission to save rock 'n' roll one affordable guitar at a time

Hurry! Andertons just shredded hundreds off a massive range of Epiphone guitars – including a whopping £400 off the gorgeous ‘58 Flying V
By Daryl Robertson published
With offers on everything from the iconic Les Paul and SG to the stunning Flying V, Explorer, Firebird and more, you don't want to miss this sale

“The tone is simply spectacular, and now at 50 watts, the amp feels more powerful and assertive than ever before”: Positive Grid Spark 2 review
By Daryl Robertson published
Positive Grid’s flagship practice amp gets its long-awaited sequel, but can it live up to the legacy of the original?

I’ve bought a lot of Gibson guitars - this £800 off Les Pauls at Andertons is the best deal I’ve ever seen
By Daryl Robertson published
With sizeable discounts on '50s and '60s Les Paul Standards, as well as the contemporary Modern Lite, th

Looking for a great Prime Day guitar deal? Skip Amazon and head to Fender for 10% off Ultra and 20% off Squier Affinity models
By Daryl Robertson last updated
With as much as $220 off select guitars there's no need to visit Amazon this Prime Day
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