
Stuart Williams
I'm a freelance member of the MusicRadar team, specialising in drum news, interviews and reviews. I formerly edited Rhythm and Total Guitar here in the UK and have been playing drums for more than 25 years (my arms are very tired). When I'm not working on the site, I can be found on my electronic kit at home, or gigging and depping in function bands and the odd original project.
Latest articles by Stuart Williams

11 live mistakes every drummer makes
By Stuart Williams published
Avoid these common pitfalls and your gigs will go a lot more smoothly

11 trailblazing players who raised the bar for electronic and hybrid drumming
By Stuart Williams published
The drummers, past and present, who embraced technology to revolutionize music and the gear we play

Where might electronic drums go next? Here are 9 of our predictions
By Stuart Williams published
Electronic drums have come a long way over the last few decades, but where are they headed in the future? From AI to radical new playing surfaces and authentic cymbals, this is our wishlist

How Dave Grohl delivered his Smells Like Teen Spirit drum track
By Stuart Williams published
The drum part that introduced Nirvana and a drummer named Dave Grohl to the world was released back in 1991

11 great movies, documentaries and shows that drummers should check out
By Stuart Williams published
From the educational to the inspiring, these dynamic docs are well worth your time

10 tips to help drummers to develop better timing
By Stuart Williams published
Smooth-out your timing and you'll make everything easier. Here are some practical ways to get your inner clock ticking

10 common electronic drum set issues and how to troubleshoot them
By Stuart Williams published
Don’t let annoying gremlins spoil your playing. From no sound to too much noise, most problems can be solved with some simple settings or affordable upgrades - here’s how

The 10 people drummers will inevitably encounter when playing a gig
By Stuart Williams published
The allies and nemeses you can expect to see at your live shows

Listen to 11 isolated drum tracks from rock's drumming legends
By Stuart Williams published
Led Zeppelin, Rush, The Beatles, Slipknot, The Police, and more

13 easy drum songs every beginner should learn
By Stuart Williams published
Stop cramming and start jamming with these must-know easy-drum classics for beginners

Best drum thrones 2025: my pick of budget-spanning stools for comfort behind the kit
By Stuart Williams last updated
DW, Roc-N-Soc and Gibraltar are among the brands vying to be crowned king of the drum thrones – but which one is right for you in terms of build, comfort and budget? Here’s my recommendations

“Many of the Pro’s advantages are less towards sound, and more on the side of enhanced playability”: Alesis Nitro Pro review
By Stuart Williams published
Alesis goes beyond Max with pad improvements for its mid-range electronic drum set

Best beginner electronic drum sets 2025: top-rated entry-level e-drums, reviewed by experts
By Chris Barnes last updated
Just starting out behind the drums? These are the best electronic drum kits for beginners, each one tested and rated by pro drummers - plus full reviews and video demos

Best drum sets 2025: Top drum kits for beginner to pro drummers
By James Farmer last updated
Explore 17 of the best drum kits for the studio, stage and bedroom from Ludwig, Pearl, Tama, DW and more

"A versatile jack-of-all-trades, with some excellent displays of mastery at times": Fender Player II Modified Precision Bass review
By Stuart Williams published
Fender’s workhorse-series P-Bass gets some performance-enhancing additions, as well as a tone control that works in passive mode

Best bass drum pedals 2025: single and double bass pedals for every budget
By Stuart Williams last updated
Put your best foot forward with my guide to choosing the right kick pedal for your playing style and budget, with picks from DW, Pearl, Tama, Yamaha and others

“A high-quality solution for capturing your drums”: Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt review
By Stuart Williams published
A drum and instrument studio classic gets the scaled-down treatment

“An excellent entry point into the world of cast-shell drums”: DrumCraft Bell Brass Snare review
By Stuart Williams published
As heavy-shell snare drums make a comeback, DrumCraft is letting us in on the action at a snip of the price

"Whatever magic is in the Van Halen ear canals has been imparted here too": EVH SA-126 Special review
By Stuart Williams published
The first new design from EVH under Wolfgang Van Halen's watch is a Gibson-inspired semi-hollow with plenty of personality

Best electronic drum sets 2025: Top picks for every playing level and budget, tested by drummers
By Chris Barnes last updated
Our experts have tested over 80 kits to bring you this guide to the best electronic drum kits available today - the guide also includes full reviews, buying advice, video and audio demos

Best online drum lessons 2025: Our pick of tuition platforms for beginner to advanced players
By Stuart Williams last updated
Learn drums how and when you want with these excellent online drum lesson resources, tried and tested by us

“The VQD could well unlock drumming for people who otherwise can’t possibly play a kit at home”: Roland VQD106 review
By Stuart Williams published
If noise annoys those around you when you’re drumming, this ultra-quiet electronic set has the solutions - plus, watch our volume comparison video with a standard e-kit

“If this is your first guitar, you’ll be keeping it for a long time to come”: Harley Benton Pro Series ST-Modern HSS review
By Stuart Williams published
Beggars can apparently also be choosers, according to Harley Benton and its sub-£150 versatile doublecut

"It’s the most impressive Squier guitar I’ve played this year, and probably my favourite in a few": Squier Paranormal Troublemaker Telecaster Deluxe review
By Stuart Williams published
Squier's affordable Tele Deluxe is a mash-up of Fender and Gibson design points

I recently bought a Les Paul, but the Squier Troublemaker Tele I’m reviewing has just been reduced by a whopping $136. Now I need to find space for another guitar before the price goes back up
By Stuart Williams last updated
Forget the name on the headstock, this Squier is the Telecaster for die-hard Gibson fans
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