
Jonathan Horsley
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
Latest articles by Jonathan Horsley

Empress Effects unveils the Bass ParaEQ, the world’s first parametric EQ pedal designed especially for bass
By Jonathan Horsley published
Empress Effects promises total control over your tone with heaps of features, including three parametric bands with 15dB boost/cut, footswitchable boost, various filters and more

Kiesel debuts the Kyber – a radically contoured and super lightweight electric that screams shred
By Jonathan Horsley published
Kiesel’s new design is all about the ergonomics, with the California high-performance brand offering every excuse for players to carry on up the Kyber's fingerboard

“For the record, I have never been consulted in any way about this pedal, it has never been authorised by me”: Bill Finnegan sues Behringer parent company over Klon Centaur clone
By Jonathan Horsley published
Finnegan invented the Klon Centaur in 1994. Behringer launched a $69 copy and called it the Centaur Overdrive in November last year

Exhibition featuring life-sized photos of 100 legendary artists' guitars to open in London
By Jonathan Horsley published
Scale will feature 1:1 front-and-back portraits of guitars belonging to Paul McCartney, Tom Morello, Dave Grohl, Kerry King, Brian May, Joan Jett and more – and it'll tell the stories behind them

With some help from Tom Morello, MXR launches Jail Guitar Doors Drive in memory of Wayne Kramer
By Jonathan Horsley published
Sales from this Reverb exclusive will support Kramer's charity supporting prisoner rehabilitation

Gibson teams up with Back To The Future cast to launch global hunt for Marty McFly’s lost ES-345
By Jonathan Horsley published
Gibson asks anyone who has information as to the whereabouts of the Cherry Red ES-345 that Marty McFly played in the 1985 blockbuster to get in touch

PRS pays tribute to a legend of guitar design with the limited edition McCarty SC56
By Jonathan Horsley published
Paul Reed Smith salutes his mentor, Ted McCarty, and celebrates 40 years of PRS with an immaculate weight-relieved single-cut

Mad Professor's refreshed D-style overdrive pedal is here – with improved clarity and dynamics
By Jonathan Horsley published
The Mad Professor cooks up some D-style magic with the Simble MKII, promising a “more open sound, more headroom” from the compact drive pedal

Robbie McIntosh and Monty’s new pickup set offers best of both worlds for Esquire and Tele fans
By Jonathan Horsley published
The Pretender is the upgrade that can give your Telecaster a new lease of life – and the “vibe” and sound of McIntosh's Esquire

Gretsch drops two limited edition Jim Dandy acoustics with solid spruce tops and off-the-charts mojo
By Jonathan Horsley published
They're small-bodied, budget-friendly, inspired by ye olde Rex catalogue pre-War models... Get 'em while they're hot, people

“A sandbox for experimentation”: Donner x Third Man Hardware Triple Threat review
By Jonathan Horsley published
This Jack White collab collects high-gain distortion, phaser and echo in one $100 unit. It's big on value, but how does it sound?

Laney unveils the IR-equipped 120W Supertop head with onboard effects and matching cabs
By Jonathan Horsley published
It's lightweight, high-powered, features LAIR onboard IR tech, modulation and reverb, and is voiced to compete with tube amps

Charlie Burchill on his one regret from Simple Minds’ 1985 smash-hit album, Once Upon A Time
By Jonathan Horsley published
Eight tracks, all killer, no filler, but why did the Scottish rockers leave their biggest hit out?

Steve Stevens' new Ciari signature model is a fold-away electric guitar for musicians on the go
By Jonathan Horsley published
It's a high-end electric with Bare Knuckle pickups, coil-splits, locking tuners, and it has a hinge that allows you to fold it in half and carry it onto planes, trains, and presumably automobiles too

Kemper promises more power, flexibility and effects from refreshed and souped-up Profiler Mk2 series
By Jonathan Horsley published
Kemper revamps its entire Profiler product range with an upgraded processor, adding 7 additional effects blocks, 8-channel USB audio support, improved looper and faster responsiveness

“Well this is a first…”: Richard Fortus says it was so hot in Saudi Arabia that his pickups melted
By Jonathan Horsley published
One thing that Fortus will learn from this GNR tour is that the desert heat can do crazy things to your electric guitar

Harley Benton unveils dreadnought inspired by a classic workhorse – and it is crazy affordable
By Jonathan Horsley published
The name HBJ-45E SBK does not drip off the tongue but with that old-school aesthetic, a solid Sitka soundboard, it's could become a household name for beginner players

Joe Bonamassa on how to choose the right amp for a gig
By Jonathan Horsley published
The blues superstar reveals what he looks for when sitting in with a band for the night

All American guitar legend Rick Derringer dies, aged 77
By Jonathan Horsley published
He scored a number one hit when he was still a teenager, played with Johnny and Edgar Winter, Steely Dan, KISS, and more. He wrote Hulk Hogan's anthem. Derringer's life was extraordinary

Ethan Ives on the guitars, tones and “indie Motörhead” energy of Car Seat Headrest’s epic rock opera
By Jonathan Horsley published
Ives’ playing on the Seattle indie-rocker’s audacious new album, The Scholars, is a masterclass in tone and melody, and maybe also how stylistic slipperiness is key to holding our attention

“It’s a real bow with synthetic hair on two sides and it’s capable of doing some amazing things”: Turn your acoustic guitar into a violin or cello? The Pickaso Guitar Bow might be this year’s must-have accessory for Jimmy Page superfans
By Jonathan Horsley published
A double-sided mini-bow with an integrated pick in its design, the Pickaso Guitar Bow opens up a new world for exploring guitar

Shiner from Those Damn Crows on how to write a No.1 album and the Slipknot riff he wish he wrote
By Jonathan Horsley published
With the Welsh rockers' latest album, God Shaped Hole, topping the charts, we check in with riff-master Shiner to talk song structure, grunge inspirations, and knowing when not to play

John Mayer and Ernie Ball unveil a set of acoustic guitar strings made from an all-new alloy
By Jonathan Horsley published
The Earthwood Bell Bronze acoustic strings are made from an all-new proprietary alloy that offers “bold, rich, full-bodied tones with enhanced resonance and projection”

Harley Benton applies retro-classic colours to its beginner friendly short-scale JB-62CC Mini Bass
By Jonathan Horsley published
Short-scales have all the fun? For under 200 bucks you get a 23” scale Jazz-alike that’s ideal for the kids, but maybe also for those plummy old-school soul and R&B tones
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