I grew up in a house full of guitars, as my father was forever building electric guitars on the families kitchen table. I spent my teenage years trying to tame a 100 watt Marshall JCM 800 and matching 4 x 12 cab in a bedroom, only just large enough for a bed. I’d bought it not REALLY understanding exactly how loud 100 watts is. At this young age I started to experiment with recording and MIDI and cut my teeth on Pro 24 and Notator on an Atari synced to a Foster R8 with an MTC-1.
Playing in bands and working in recording studios for many years, I learned to mix, record and eventually worked as a sound engineer. I also worked for many of the UKs large pro audio retailers, where I helped to set up DAWs in everything from local studios, music technology colleges all the way through to world famous recording facilities like Air Studios and The Strongroom. As I couldn’t help myself, I even owned my own recording studio in London for a while. There I learnt a lot about recording guitars, dealing with bands and getting quality results anyhow.
Over the years I have acquired a very sizeable guitar collection, which includes many guitars that I have built myself. I’m a total hoarder of effect pedals and valve amps and I’m a certified guitar geek. So there are not many that I have not owned at least once. Whether Parker Fly guitars or Klon Centaur pedals, I’ve had them all. Now running the annual Analogue To Digital music show in the UK, plus the Vintage Guitar Fair, I get to be busy throughout the year and also get to rub shoulders with many other guitar lovers, luthiers, manufacturers and pro players.
My tastes in music includes everything from Dinosaur Jr to Squarepusher.
Write him: jef (at) gearnews (com)
Finland's Mad Professor has been busy brewing up a new all-analogue modulation pedal with 11 lush-sounding effects available, including flangers, chorus and vibratos. But is it missing a trick or two?
Keeley unleashes 300 limited edition pedals with 'prototype' no-frills aesthetics: The X series encompasses 10 models, all limited to a 30-unit release worldwide.
Blackstar is bravely launching three new 10W combos, the new Studio 10 range based on an EL34, 6L6 or KT88 output tube respectively but sharing the same single-ended input stage.
Gibson is planning an exclusive CME SG Standard series in unique Custom Shop finishes loaded with T-Top style humbuckers - nice! But they could come very dear to buyers outside the States.
Supro has just announced a new all valve combo, the Blues King 12, a Class A amp with an additional FET boost and analogue spring reverb included in the price, too.
Strymon has made an announcement on their official Facebook page stating that there is a new product being launched by the company on 10 January. But what is it?
Joyo's R Series of budget effects pedals is causing a bit of a stir and its latest addition is the new Aquarius delay/looper pedal. with 300 s of loops and 8 delay models for under 80 quid.
Featuring a double cut design and twin humbuckers, Epiphone's new DC PRO rock guitar also has a rather tasty AAA flame maple top that gives the whole package bags of 70s flair.
Ibanez's new Joe Satriani JS1CR 'Chrome Boy' will include Joe's favoured DiMarzio Satchur8 and SUTAINIAC pickup system. But will this version keeps its chrome finish?
It is that time of year again, the one where I get to share my favourite boutique dirt boxes and explain why I believe you should be hunting them down to add to your fuzzy sonic palette.
Part two of Jef's Guitar Tone Tips: Ever tried experimenting with thicker plectrums to see how different materials affect your tone? Jef says: you should be...
From Howlin' Wolf to the Rolling Stones, guitarists learnt decades ago that distortion was their best friend. JHS Pedals has made a neat video that shows us how it all began.
What a year it's been for guitars - so difficult to choose the 5 best! We had a go anyway: here are Jef's Top 5 guitars of 2018, chosen for their unique properties and interesting designs.
Christmas is here and many guitarists will have walnuts lying around the house. Jef explains how to use a walnut to give your rosewood or ebony fretboard to a healthy, lustrous sheen!
Barefaced says its two new 1x10" GX guitar cabinets give us the best of open- and closed-back designs in one guitar cab design, and provide the power of a 2x10" cab - bold claims indeed!
Looking for some new virtual guitar amps and cabinets? Positive Grid has a special Christmas give-away this year, offering its Bias Amp 2 LE software bundle for free for a limited time.
Joyo's new R-08 Cab Box is a guitar cabinet emulator with lots of built-in virtual cabs and amps, a big screen - and lets you load your own IRs. And all that for under GBP 200!
French upstarts Collision Devices' have launched the Black Hole Symmetry pedal, a unique take on some classic guitars pedal effects combined into one very interesting and creative package.
The new Suhr Reactive Load IR could be the perfect 'box of tricks' for guitarists that need flexible volume control when recording or using high wattage valve amps live.
Joyo carries on its determined assault on the cheaper end of the pedal market with the O.M.B., a looper pedal for combining overdubs with drum patterns to create your own sounds and song ideas.
It is that time of year, you need a gift for the guitar player in your life and you don't want to spend a fortune, but you do want something they will actually need.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is 20 years old! To celebrate this computer game milestone, guitarist and YouTuber Gerry Trevino has turned the game score into a guitar medley.
Amp designer Martin Kidd and guitarist Rabea Massaad have reworked the VX The Kraken amp to come up with the VX100 Super Kraken - But is there enough new here to justify the name "Super"?
14 Dec 2018 in
New Portland, Oregon based pedal company Dirty Haggard Audio have updated and improved an old classic Japanese fuzz circuit and named it the DH-2 Death Fuzz.
