Articles by Rob Laing, Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar. I've currently set aside any pipe dreams of getting anywhere with my own songs and I am enjoying playing covers in function bands.

Articles by: Rob Laing

NAMM 2023: Fender makes a strong play for the modders with Strat and Jazzmaster Cunife pickups and Player Plus necks

By Rob Laing published 16 February 23

There's new Cobalt Chrome Tele pickups too

Photo of a Marshall Blues Breaker pedal reissue box

Is Marshall actually going to reissue the Bluesbreaker pedal after all? Looks likely

By Rob Laing published 13 February 23

A box has been seen in the wild!

Is Fender's The Pelt the most underrated fuzz pedal around?

By Rob Laing published 13 February 23

Chris Buck thinks it might be a future classic

Bono and the Edge of U2 onstage during the ZOO TV tour in 1992

U2 will celebrate their seminal Achtung Baby album with a Las Vegas residency – but where are the UK and Ireland dates?

By Rob Laing published 13 February 23

The band are seemingly not trying to throw their arms around the world with this show

This new Kickstarter combines a guitar and amp stand

By Rob Laing published 10 February 23

The Altar stand is a new approach to guitar and bass organisation

DOD is back and bringing an Overdrive Preamp 250 pedal reissue to prove it

By Rob Laing published 9 February 23

Cort and PRS SE builder Cor-Tek Corporation brings the beloved company back for a new era with an old favourite

The most metal guitar of 2023? Architects guitarist Josh Middleton's new custom ESP has thrown down the studded gauntlet

By Rob Laing published 9 February 23

We think there's a nod to his guitar hero Chuck Schuldiner here

Depeche Mode are back in black with Ghosts Again

By Rob Laing published 9 February 23

Their first new music since the passing of member Andy Fletcher is a strong return

Dancer Sofia Liñares from Black Sabbath - The Ballet

A Black Sabbath ballet is coming to Birmingham and it might just turn out to be a genius meeting of worlds

By Rob Laing published 8 February 23

The band's home city will host the Tony Iommi-endorsed Black Sabbath - The Ballet in September before it visits other cities

Pedalboard tour with Maybeshewill's Robin Southby and John Helps

By Rob Laing published 8 February 23

A mini pedalboard for expansive post-rock? Oh yes!

Joe Bonamassa playing a 1964 Fender Strat at Norm's Rare Guitars store. refinished in Greenburst

Joe Bonamassa plays his newly-bought 1964 Fender Strat in… Greenburst?!

By Rob Laing published 7 February 23

Refinished in the 70s (at least), this one is going straight out on the road with the bluesman

Avenged Sevenfold's Synyster Gates on contemporary guitar music: "When I check in I don't see anything where I'm going, 'I'm missing out on this piece of technical wizardry'"

By Rob Laing published 7 February 23

He also reveals how he went down an intense three-year 'rabbit hole' in his mids 30s to develop further as a player

Tom Bukovac on his favourite guitar amp of all time and why the 100-watt version is better than a 50-watt

By Rob Laing published 6 February 23

It's all about clean headroom – and Eric Johnson agrees

See guitarists Mark Lettieri and Martin Miller give Michael Jackson's Human Nature the cover treatment

By Rob Laing published 6 February 23

The guitar aces and band give the Toto / Jacko Thriller classic their own spin

3 reasons why Richie Sambora is the Jacket Potato on the UK's Masked Singer

By Rob Laing published 6 February 23

We now have 'conclusive ' proof

Ovation brings its Ultra electro acoustic guitar series back for 2023

By Rob Laing published 6 February 23

A non-cutaway mid-depth model takes the '80s and '90s series into the 21st century

The 1975 surprise fans by playing debut album in full at small UK show, demand Oasis reunite

By Rob Laing published 3 February 23

Frontman Matt Healey didn't hold back on the Gallaghers: "Grow up; headline Glastonbury"

Imagine an EBow that can be used on multiple guitar strings at once: someone has just designed one

By Rob Laing published 3 February 23

Hopefully Victoria Shen's prototype could be the start of a production model