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)
Heritage Guitars announces on Instagram that it's made a "defensive" legal filing against Gibson, alleging a "campaign of harassment", presumably over copyrights.
Impact Soundworks know a thing or two about virtual guitars and their new Shreddage 3 Hydra virtual 8-String could be the perfect weapon for all your djent needs - inside your DAW.
Once upon a time, the standard USA-made Gibson or Fender was your go-to guitar. Now, both face enormous competition. It begs the question: Which "core" USA brand is getting your money in 2020?
This offset guitar comes with a built-in delay and looks pretty epic! This sweet Jazzmaster mod is the work of a small UK guitar company - hear it in action here.
Yes, Steve Vai's Harmony Hut is as amazing as you hope it will be! A new video takes us through his stunning guitar collection while Steve shares stories about his favourite instruments.
The Chalky Box is a special limited edition Way Huge overdrive pedal that you can customise to look however you want - as long as you can wield a stick of chalk, that is.
In a move sure to sadden its customers and fans, PRS has cancelled Experience PRS 2020 over Coronavirus concerns, a clear sign of how badly Covid-19 is impacting the music industry.
Seymour Duncan's new Polaron has a big array of analogue phase tones available, like Auto Wah, Rotary Speaker (Leslie), Talkbox, Flanger and Phaser - all controlled using a digital technology.
This refreshing new take on the auto wah by Flower Pedals offers a lot more than just classic wah sounds; Hosta Wah Filter's three modes give you a lot of options on tap.
Save nearly 50% on IK Multimedia's AmpliTube MAX bundle and AmpliTube 4! This deal for new users runs until 31 March, so it's a good time to grab one of the leading virtual guitar rigs.
Supro‘s Blues King 10 is the third iteration of the Blues King concept, this time with 5 Watts, an 8-inch speaker and enough trimmings to make it an interesting proposition for home and studio use.
Dynamo has a new proposition for guitarists who cover a lot of miles on the road (or in the air) and need a convenient rig with a tube preamp but lower weight: Flight Rig.
New in the Revolution series: The Joyo Baatsin R-11. Looking inconspicuous, the R-11 packs in 8 overdrives and distortions in one pedal - and all are generated using analog components.
If you're on the market for a wah-wah or volume pedal, now is the time! There's a Morley Mega Deal on with massive savings on 16 pedals, including signature Steve Vai wah and more!
The new Synergy Amps Steve Vai Signature preamp module is the company'e first artist signature product and extends its ever-expanding range of swappable preamps.
The well-priced Joyo XVI is an octaver in the style of the EHX POG with upper and lower octave, but throws in a additional - if limited - effect: modulation.
The Fender Marauder is a super-rare prototype guitar from 1965, re-imagined by the Custom Shop in 2020 for guitarist Matthew Logan Vasquez - it even comes with a built-in delay effect!
TC Electronic's new Plethora X5 multi-FX board crams in every TonePrint algorithm yet released like the Flashback and Hall of Fame - and lets you combine these any way you like as "virtual boards".
Chapman Guitars teases a new "Battleworn" ML1 Pro, a guitar with a post-apocalyptic 'backstory' darker than any YouTube spat over who said what... Is this a stormy new chapter for Chapman?
Drive two stereo reverbs in parallel or in series! The Electro-Harmonix Oceans 12 pedal can do that and more. Dive into the full details of EHX's new reverb machine here.
If you're after a bargain on a quality overdrive pedal, you will not find a better deal than this: Lunastone's True Overdrive 2 is on sale at Thomann for only 39 Euros instead of 149!
Fancy getting your first semi-hollow guitar? Take a look at the new Guild Starfire I range, available as a single- or double-cut and with an optional Bigsby trem at a very decent price.
A new chapter in the Kiesel-Gibson spat: Kiesel launches two new signature guitar models, one of which uses the body shape that was the subject of Gibson's recent cease and desist letter, the CS6!
Frankenstein's Guitar! Look Mum No Computer added a MIDI keyboard made of arcade buttons to a Gibson Les Paul. After all, why not? If you're a guitar aficionado/purist, do not watch this video.
