Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
A Fractal Audio VP4 Virtual Pedalboard multi-effects pedal on a concrete floor
Guitar Pedals Best multi-effects pedals 2025: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitars 2025: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Close up of a Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar
Acoustic Guitars Best cheap acoustic guitars 2025: Top picks for strummers on a budget
Sennheiser in ear monitors on a lit up dj controller
Studio Monitors Best budget in-ear monitors 2025: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
Close up of LR Baggs Anthem pickup in an acoustic guitar
Guitar Pickups Best acoustic guitar pickups 2025: electrify your acoustic for stage, studio and sound fx – our top picks for all budgets
Man presses acoustic bridge pin into an acoustic guitar
Guitar Strings Best acoustic guitar strings 2025: Find your favourite acoustic strings
Two Taylor beginner acoustic guitars lying on a purple floor
Acoustic Guitars Best acoustic guitar for beginners 2025: Strum your first chords with our choice of beginner acoustic guitars
A Boss RC-10R looper pedal on a wooden floor
Guitar Pedals Best looper pedals 2025: My favourite loop stations for every budget
Man holding acoustic guitar in front of a silver laptop
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
Kids hands on a beginner keyboard
Keyboards & Pianos Best keyboards for beginners 2025: Get started with our expert pick of beginner keyboards for all ages
Man in green jumper received a gift from a man in a red jumper
Guitars Best Christmas gifts for musicians 2025: 21 affordable festive present ideas for music-makers (which they'll genuinely love)
Pair of Audio-Technica in-ear monitors sat on a case
Studio Monitors Best in-ear monitors 2025: IEMs for stage and studio
Man playing Roland TD716 electronic drum set in a studio
Electronic Drums Best electronic drum sets 2025: Top picks for every playing level and budget, tested by drummers – plus video and audio demos
More
  • Pete Townshend on smashing - and fixing - his guitars
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • AI slop hits #1
  • The pain that birthed Don't Speak
  • Europe vs AI
  1. Guitars

Best guitar gear of the month: March 2010 review round-up

News
By Guitarist, Total Guitar, Chris Vinnicombe ( Guitarist, Total Guitar ) published 1 April 2010

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Palmer PDI-03 Speaker Simulator (£460)

Palmer PDI-03 Speaker Simulator (£460)

Every month, MusicRadar’s industry-leading sister magazines - Guitarist, Computer Music, Total Guitar, Rhythm and Future Music - publish the best independent and in-depth music-making gear reviews.

We’ve collated the latest electric and acoustic guitars, amplifiers and effects to have fallen under the expert eyes and ears of Guitarist and Total Guitar's test teams. All the gear on show here was originally reviewed in Guitarist issues 326-327 and Total Guitar issue 200. It was published on MusicRadar throughout March.

Scroll on for this month’s top picks and click through to read each product’s full review and check out video and audio demos. First up: here's Palmer's legendary Speaker Simulator reissued.

MusicRadar’s verdict:

"Easy-to-use hardware cabinet simulation for recording guitarists."

4 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: PDI-03 Speaker Simulator


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 326)

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Patrick James Eggle Linville Gareth Pearson (£1900)

Patrick James Eggle Linville Gareth Pearson (£1900)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"A cracking electro with bags of presence and punch built for a long life on the stage."

5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Linville Gareth Pearson


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 326)

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Mesa/Boogie Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier 100W head (£2329)

Mesa/Boogie Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier 100W head (£2329)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"Plug into one and you'll find it very hard not to be impressed – the updated Dual Rectifier is set to be amp of the decade… again!"

5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier 100W head


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 327)

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
Fuchs Overdrive Supreme 50-watt 2 x 12 combo (£3099)

Fuchs Overdrive Supreme 50-watt 2 x 12 combo (£3099)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"For serious players only (and those with plenty of cash), the Fuchs is a pro-level tone machine that will never let you down."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Overdrive Supreme 50-watt 2 x 12 combo


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 326)

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
Vox AC30C2 2 x 12 combo (£822)

Vox AC30C2 2 x 12 combo (£822)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"If you've been put off by previous AC30s, this, finally, is the one to opt for and enjoy."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: AC30C2 2 x 12 combo


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 327)

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
Boss TU-3 pedal tuner (£80)

Boss TU-3 pedal tuner (£80)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"Simple: a classic, updated. Success awaits you, TU-3."

4.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: TU-3 pedal tuner


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 327)

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
Blackstar HT Stage 60 2 x 12 combo (£699)

Blackstar HT Stage 60 2 x 12 combo (£699)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"This workhorse gigging amp will pay for itself."

5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: HT Stage 60 2 x 12 combo


(Reviewed in Total Guitar magazine issue 200)

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
Gibson Dusk Tiger (£2799)

Gibson Dusk Tiger (£2799)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"An exciting new toy for well-heeled experimentalists. The rest of us will have to wait for the technology to filter down the food chain."

3.5 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: Dusk Tiger


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 327)

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
Moog E1 guitar (£2899)

Moog E1 guitar (£2899)

MusicRadar's verdict:

"An innovative approach has created a new genre of our chosen instrument. If you want easily controllable and infinite sustain, this Moog is the place to find it, albeit at a price."

4 out of 5

FULL REVIEW: E1 guitar


(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 327)

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
Chris Vinnicombe

Chris Vinnicombe worked with us here on the MusicRadar team from the site's initial launch way back in 2007, and also contributed to Guitarist magazine as Features Editor until 2014, as well as Total Guitar magazine, amongst others. These days he can be found at Gibson Guitars, where he is editor-in-chief.

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Deals not to miss
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
 
 
A Fractal Audio VP4 Virtual Pedalboard multi-effects pedal on a concrete floor
Best multi-effects pedals 2025: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
 
 
Close up of a Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar lying on a wooden floor
Best acoustic guitars 2025: Super steel string acoustics for all players and budgets
 
 
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
 
 
Close up of a Yamaha FG800 acoustic guitar
Best cheap acoustic guitars 2025: Top picks for strummers on a budget
 
 
Sennheiser in ear monitors on a lit up dj controller
Best budget in-ear monitors 2025: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
 
 
Latest in Guitars
PRS Mark Lettieri Fiore HH, pictured here in its blue gloss and red satin versions against a pair of PRS tube amp stacks.
“It’s been on stage with everyone from Deep Purple to Janet Jackson. It kind of blows me away that people ever responded in that way”: PRS reworks Mark Lettieri’s signature Fiore as super-versatile dual-humbucker model with serial/parallel switching
 
 
Ed Sheeran in front of guitars
“Timeless songs that translate beautifully to guitar”: Ed Sheeran is the king of the guitar tabs
 
 
Ace Frehley's 1999/2000 Gibson Les Paul 'Smoker' is up for auction and has a sunburst finish, is routed for three humbuckers, but has been modified to emit smoke from the neck pickup cavity
Ace Frehley’s ‘Smoker’ Les Pauls were spectacular but dangerous – now one from his final Kiss tour heads to auction
 
 
Great Eastern FX Obsolete Devices Distortion Filter D312A
Great Eastern FX finds stash of NOS germanium diodes and makes a distortion with a cocked-wah twist
 
 
Gretsch Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic: the hollowbody electric is finished in
Gretsch teams up with Abbey Road for the Studiomatic – a hollowbody with a filter circuit inspired by actual tech from the studio
 
 
The Epiphone Mike Dirnt G-3 Grabber is an affordable replica of his original Gibson and features a trio of Gibson USA pickups, custom wiring, and is available in Natural and Silverburst finishes.
Epiphone unveils signature G-3 Grabber with Gibson USA pickups for Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt
 
 
Latest in News
Beatles
Giles Martin explains how AI de-mixing has resulted in fresh live audio for the Beatles Anthology remaster
 
 
Fabric DJ Getty Images
UK electronic musicians aren't getting the royalties they deserve, according to a new report
 
 
swift
“I did that by myself at my house in about 20 minutes”: How Bon Iver’s Taylor Swift collab came together in record time
 
 
Iron Maiden in 1999
“When Bruce came back I wasn’t 100% sure of his reasons”: How Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris made peace with Bruce Dickinson
 
 
Spotify Song Credits and SongDNA
Spotify expands its song credits and previews a SongDNA feature that reveals samples and cover versions
 
 
songscription
Songscription converts any audio file into notation, tabs and MIDI using AI
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...