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)
Two very garish looking compact overdrive pedals designed in conjunction with Thomas Blug. Leopard skin usually makes me think of '80s metal or East End barmaids, hopefully these sound like neither...
In 1976 Stuart Spector announced his first hand made instruments. Celebrating 40 years in the business they have announced these two limited edition versions in time for Summer NAMM 2016.
All your vintage Plexi sounds in one compact gold pedal? Reinhold Bogner utilises his years of amp designing to squeeze them all into one very neat package.
Two brand new signature models for the Mastodon guitarist. One for for those on a budget and another high end model. The deal with Gibson is over and he has jumped ship to ESP!
These bold, bright lightweight guitars and made from aircraft grade aluminium and will certainly help you stand out from the crowd.
A very versatile compact bass preamp with flexibility in the overdrive section. If you need a high quality portable bass rig have Darkglass come up with the goods?
When two boutique pedal builders decide to collaborate then weird noises will probably happen at some point. The combination of two existing pedals squashed into one, plus some new added features.
NAMM
The Electromatic Collection includes 12 string and left handed models and also see some great player upgrades that make these a viable guitar for anyone looking to spend under a £1000.
US dealer Make'n Music are doing a limited run of this modern hybrid guitar design. Available now in a more traditional Fender colour scheme associated with vintage 1950s Telecasters.
Empress launch a reverb effect which can emulate many different spaces and classic reverb types. And it even has a 'Beer' mode!
A free virtual Ibanez TS-808 for your DAW is to be launched later this week: Get your SRV Texas Blues licks ready and try out this new plugin for yourself!
An interesting take on Gibson's classic J-45 dreadnaught acoustic design, this boutique guitar has hand-etched detailing and is loaded with a P90 pickup.
This tremolo "upgrade" looks like a metal carbuncle strapped onto your guitar. Pointless idea or utter genius? You decide.
NAMM
Presenting at Summer NAMM 2016, Epiphone have some really cool looking models this year and some nice limited editions as well.
A very retro-looking yet modern take on the travel guitar, this instrument is claimed to give a tube-like tone as well...
Get your song ideas down quickly before they escape using this new pedal. With an accompanying smartphone App. Available on both iOS and Android this neat idea could save you from losing those precious song ...
Enter a new pair of boutique overdrive pedals from the UK featuring the ability to blend in a full clean tone to give your tone more definition.
A Fitbit for your guitar? This Bluetooth enabled guitar pick is a new concept to help players become more accurate with their plectrum technique.
A much loved Sixties 'oddball' guitar reissued for 2016: One for all you hipsters out there, perhaps?
With a plenty of references to brains, yet very little detail on the actual effect itself. Are Dr.No Effects suffering from a frontal lobotomy?
New vintage inspired version of the popular McCarty design from master guitar builder Paul Reed Smith. The 594 is a new addition to his core range of guitars, previously only available as a Private Stock ...
Modern day reissue of 1960's vibrato and chorus pedal used by iconic guitarists Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Robin Trower.
A rumour come true: Gary Moore's Stratocaster now available as strictly limited Custom Shop model.
This limited edition wah pedal was designed with The Cult's guitar tones in mind. Will the world 'love' this new addition to the popular Cry Baby Wah range?