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Articles by: Rod Brakes

Gary Kemp

Interview: Gary Kemp – "To this day, I really believe in writing the song completely on an acoustic instrument before taking it into the studio"

By Rod Brakes

As the Spandau Ballet songwriter releases his second solo album, he talks prog rock inspiration and his guitar rig

R.E.M. 1983

Producer Mitch Easter shares the inside story of R.E.M.’s early recording sessions: “It was glorious. They rehearsed a lot just because they liked to play together“

By Rod Brakes

With R.E.M.’s debut 1981 single, Radio Free Europe, poised for reissue, Easter offers a definitive account of the moment that kickstarted both his and the band’s storied careers…

Classic gear: Fender Esquire

By Rod Brakes

Fender’s first electric has a unique allure - and bags of tonal character

Classic gear: Fender Telecaster Deluxe

By Rod Brakes

The history of Fender’s '70s flagship Tele - a melting pot of influences...

Classic gear: Fender Jaguar

By Rod Brakes

The story of the Big F's big cat

Dave Hill: “We were always thinking outside the box, but we were also conscious of entertainment”

By Rod Brakes

The Slade guitarist talks first guitars, Chas Chandler and rebooting the band

FX guru Roger Mayer on Hendrix: “Anybody can buy a wah and just make it go ‘wah-wah-wah’, but making it talk is something else”

By Rod Brakes

Gear mastermind on that Woodstock set and Jimi's rig

Classic gear: Fender Jazzmaster

By Rod Brakes

Fender’s offset solidbody makes a splash in surf and new wave

Classic gear: Gibson Les Paul Special

By Rod Brakes

The last in (and first out of) Gibson’s original Les Paul line-up...

Classic gear: Marshall JTM45 MK II

By Rod Brakes

How Marshall’s debut amp opened a new chapter in rock ’n’ roll history...

Richard Fortus: “We’re pushed and inspired by our own tone... We’re gonna be playing better because we’re hearing what we want to hear”

By Rod Brakes

The GN’R veteran talks hunting down guitars, nailing his tone and sharing a stage with Slash

Classic gear: Dallas Rangemaster - the secret sauce behind Rory Gallagher, Tony Iommi and Marc Bolan's signature tones

By Rod Brakes

How this humble unit helped guitar’s greatest achieve their iconic tones...

Mad Professor Double Moon review

By Rod Brakes

  • £249
  • €250

A compact multi-modulation pedal with expansive analogue sounds

Historic hardware: Lovetone pedals

By Rod Brakes

How the legendary brand behind the Meatball and Big Cheese came to be

Cecilia Della Peruti: “Stand behind what you want to do musically and try not to be too impressionable”

By Rod Brakes

We talk to the Beck guitarist and Gothic Tropic frontwoman

The surprising story of the Fender Telecaster

By Jamie Dickson, Rod Brakes

The quirks, prototypes and lightning fast development behind Fender's workhorse

Classic gear: Epiphone FT 110/Frontier

By Rod Brakes

When Epiphone went to Kalamazoo, a new Frontier beckoned…

Historic hardware: 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom

By Rod Brakes

Up close with a vintage Black Beauty

Classic gear: Vox AC15

By Rod Brakes

Vox turns a page in rock ’n’ roll history with its debut guitar amp

Classic gear: Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body/Nashville

By Rod Brakes

Chet Atkins’ seminal signature archtop was a watershed for Gretsch…

Classic gear: Epiphone Zenith

By Rod Brakes

Part of the Masterbilt series, the Zenith signalled a new era for Epiphone

EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things review

By Rod Brakes

  • £249
  • €288
  • $249

Pedalboard management from the Swiss Army knife of stompboxes

Classic gear: Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster

By Rod Brakes

Gibson’s multi-voiced tonal smorgasbord came in many guises...

Fender Full Moon Distortion review

By Rod Brakes

  • £135
  • €125
  • $169

High moon

Fender The Pelt Fuzz review

By Rod Brakes

  • £96
  • €91
  • $149

Going full pelt