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
  • 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
Lag HyVibe HV10ACE
Acoustic Guitars “Powerful, extremely versatile and creatively refreshing, it offers a ton of inspiration if you click with it”: LAG HyVibe 10 HV10ACE review
Harley Benton NAMM 2026 releases include left-handed options on its V-style electric and offset bass guitars, fresh finish options for the SC single-cuts, and new colours for its HSS S-style
Guitars Harley Benton’s 2026 mega-drop: Metallica makeovers, fresh colours and a baritone SC Custom III, all-solid acoustics for under $250 and more
Gibson Original Collection (L-R) featuring the SJ-200 60s, J-160E, and the LG-2 50s.
Guitars The Beatles-approved J-160E makes its return as Gibson unveils a trio of Original Collection flat-tops celebrating the golden era of acoustic guitar making
Harley Benton R-458MN LH WH MultiScale
Guitars Harley Benton just dropped an 8-string for southpaw players that has a multi-scale fretboard, high-gain humbuckers and offers change from 300 bucks
Deals of the week
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: We round up all the best Presidents' Day discounts from Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, and Sweetwater
Neural DSP Quad Cortex
Guitar Pedals Best multi-effects pedals: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
NAMM 2026
Tech NAMM 2026: rolling news from the world's biggest music-making gear show
Line 6 Helix Stadium
Guitars Could the Line 6 Helix Stadium Floor be a serious rival to the Quad Cortex?
Line 6 Helix Stadium XL
Guitar Pedals "The tones may not quite be best of the lot, but it's comfortably the easiest and most enjoyable modeller to use": Line 6 Helix Stadium XL review
Hottest music tech gear of NAMM
Tech The best music tech gear of NAMM 2026: Epic polys, acoustic synths, budget samplers, a Behringer Juno and more
Mooer Audio F40i / F40i Li Intelligent Amp
Guitars Mooer Audio’s flagship Intelligent Amp lets you find guitar tones using AI prompts
Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s
Gear & Gadgets A whopping $900 discount on a stunning Gibson Les Paul is the headline act of Guitar Center's early Presidents' Day sale, plus a generous up to 30% off a range of music-making gear
A Spark Link receiver in a Spark Mini practice amp
Guitars Best guitar wireless systems 2026: Cut the cord and liberate your playing today
Headphones next to electric guitar
Headphones Best guitar amp headphones 2026: My top picks for practicing your guitar quietly
The new models of theMartin Road Series 2026 are photographed in a living space.
Guitars Has Martin redefined the workhorse acoustic? Legendary brand announces blockbuster refresh of its Road Series
More
  • NAMM 2026: as it happened
  • Best NAMM tech gear
  • Joni's Woodstock
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Guitars

New guitar gear of the month: review round-up (May 2018)

News
By Guitars ( Guitarist, Total Guitar ) published 1 May 2018

Put a little spring in your step

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

Vintage VSA500

Vintage VSA500

MusicRadar's verdict:

“This guitar illustrates just how good ‘low-end’ Chinese guitars have become.”

FULL REVIEW: Vintage VSA500

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Walrus Audio ARP-87

Walrus Audio ARP-87

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A neat pedal that delivers fun in spades.”

FULL REVIEW: Walrus Audio ARP-87

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
PRS John Mayer Silver Sky 

PRS John Mayer Silver Sky 

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A superb vintage and experience-informed three single-coil bolt-on.”

FULL REVIEW: PRS John Mayer Silver Sky 

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Fender Eric Johnson Thinline Stratocaster

Fender Eric Johnson Thinline Stratocaster

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A guitar fit for a guitar hero.”

FULL REVIEW: Fender Eric Johnson Thinline Stratocaster

4.5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Gibson Les Paul Tribute 2018

Gibson Les Paul Tribute 2018

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A great guitar and an even greater price.”

FULL REVIEW: Gibson Les Paul Tribute 2018

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
TC Electronic Flashback 2

TC Electronic Flashback 2

MusicRadar's verdict:

“A versatile delay pedal elevated by that MASH feature.”

FULL REVIEW: TC Electronic Flashback 2

5 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
DigiTech SDRUM

DigiTech SDRUM

MusicRadar's verdict:

“For players who are seeking to get quick and easy rhythm tracks down, this is an inspirational tool.”

FULL REVIEW: DigiTech SDRUM 

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Sigma LGM-SG2

Sigma LGM-SG2

MusicRadar's verdict:

 “The dark horse delivers again.”

FULL REVIEW: Sigma LGM-SG2

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Total Guitar)

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Fidelity Guitars Double Standard

Fidelity Guitars Double Standard

MusicRadar's verdict:

“Heaps of cool with sounds to match.”

FULL REVIEW: Fidelity Guitars Double Standard

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Danelectro Battery Billionaire

Danelectro Battery Billionaire

MusicRadar's verdict:

“The Battery Billionaire is perhaps a bit specialist, and of questionable interest to many players, but others will see its advantages and regard it as a more practical purchase.”

FULL REVIEW: Danelectro Battery Billionaire

4 out of 5

(Originally reviewed in Guitarist)

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Guitars
The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
All the best guitar gear from this year's NAMM Show
The best new guitar gear of NAMM 2026: More effects, more amps, more guitars and more tech than ever
 
 
PRS SE Fiorre HH
“These are classy sounds with no danger of single coil hum... a near-perfect function-gig guitar”: PRS Fiore HH Satin review
 
 
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 2026: Affordable electrics
 
 
Harley Benton NAMM 2026 releases include left-handed options on its V-style electric and offset bass guitars, fresh finish options for the SC single-cuts, and new colours for its HSS S-style
Harley Benton’s 2026 mega-drop: Metallica makeovers, fresh colours and a baritone SC Custom III, all-solid acoustics for under $250 and more
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Save a colossal $500 off one of my favourite Sterling by Music Man guitars, grab $200 off a super cool D'Angelico, plus all the week's biggest sales on music gear
 
 
Gretsch Synchromatic Flacon close up of pickguard
Best Gretsch guitars 2026: Nail that Gretsch sound at any price point
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Line 6 Helix Stadium
Could the Line 6 Helix Stadium Floor be a serious rival to the Quad Cortex?
 
 
Josh Middleton takes a solo on his signature ESP / LTD electric guitar during a Sylosis live show in San Francisco, 2025.
“You can have a great amp but if the speaker sucks it won’t sound good”: Sylosis' Josh Middleton on the most important link in your signal chain
 
 
Gary Clark Jr plays his signature Cobra Burst ES-355 live onstage.
Gary Clark Jr channels the King of the Blues for limited edition Gibson Custom Shop collab
 
 
A Fender Vintera II 50s Nocaster electric guitar on a yellow background
Get golden-era guitar tone with $600 off thanks to the awesome Presidents' Day sale on Vintera II guitars over at the official Fender store
 
 
Cory Wong with his Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II
How Cory Wong reimagined Ernie Ball Music Man’s iconic bass for a signature electric with “that George Benson sound”
 
 
ring stinger
Behringer clones the Lovetone Ring Stinger, a cult classic ring mod/fuzz pedal heard on Radiohead's Kid A
 
 
Latest in News
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: Billy Idol, Steve Stevens and The Warning Rock Band with Alejandra Villarreal, Daniela Villarreal and Paulina Villarreal perform during the GRAMMY celebration of Latin Music on October 19, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by John Parra/Getty Images)
“Digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker”: Billy Idol doc to be released next week
 
 
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 20: The band Gorillaz during their performance at the Pulse of Gaia Festival, at the Universidad Autonoma, on September 20, 2025, in Madrid, Spain. Gorillaz, the iconic virtual band led by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, is in the spotlight this 2025 for the announcement of their new album, "The Mountain," which will be released worldwide on March 20, 2026 through their own label, KONG. The band is celebrating its 25th anniversary with special concerts in London and the tour to present the new album, which in 2026 will tour Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin and culminate at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. (Photo By A. Perez Meca/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Damon Albarn suggests that Gorillaz helped to lay the groundwork for the success of KPop Demon Hunters
 
 
Close-up of headphones on the table in the broadcasting room at the radio station.
“These chemicals may be migrating from the headphones into our body”: Research suggests headphones contain dangerous toxins
 
 
Pitbull
“Know you’re about to have the time of your lives”: Pitbull fans will attempt to break a world record in July
 
 
Nile Rodgers and John Mayer
How the gift of a divisive Rolling Stones album scuppered the chance of a collaboration between Nile Rodgers and John Mayer
 
 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: Michael Stipe attends Netflix's "Goodbye June" New York screening at Whitby Hotel on December 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Augello/Getty Images)
Michael Stipe returns to Springfield to sing a rewritten version of one of REM's biggest hits
 
 

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...