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)
Patrik Jensen of The Haunted gets his own signature model, the E 1.6, on Ola Englund's new Solar Guitars brand, a straight-up metal hardtail guitar that looks the part and comes with some cool hardware.
That John Mayer guitar has caused quite a stir in the guitar world, so much so that John has now made a video addressing the how and why it came about in the first place.
A simple solution to making the guitar plectrum a more flexible solution! You can strum with the best of them or speed pick like an '80s hair metal diva - with the same guitar pick!
Do you suffer from keeping track of guitar tunings, have tuning problems caused by owning multiple guitars or maybe you just love guitar gadgets? Roadie 2 is here to make life easier.
The new Gibson Custom Shop Vivian Campbell Les Paul Custom is one of the few versions of this model to feature jumbo frets, but will you pay an extra grand for his signature?
Malekko is releasing two interesting new effects pedals, the Downer and Thicken, that offer guitarists something a bit different - maybe that's down to the collaboration with Colin Newman from Wire.
This little 15W amplifier packs in an insane amount of effects, amp models and cabinet simulations, yet seems simple to use and easy integrate into your guitar set up.
This new single knob controlled preamp is based on a Tungsram AC125 germanium PNP transistor and is available in limited quantities from the Keeley Custom Shop
That crazy plasma-based distortion/fuzz pedal from NAMM by Gamechanger Audio looks set to explode onto the market later this year, but you can try it out now on your own riffs!
Gary Clark Jr has a great taste in SGs and his signature model is now available in a very traditional Vintage Cherry finish, which is handy as the last version in yellow sold out worldwide.
Images have surfaced of a new guitar by Fender - the "Roasted Earth"! This reply to the Silver Sky has it all: two humbuckers, a tremolo system and a funky reverse headstock. It's too good to be true!
If you want even more control over your Digitech Whammy or an Eventide H9 pedal, the Pitchy is a great way to coax more from both - and it is well priced too!
This little blue box manages to squeeze 11 different time-based effects into its tiny frame, not unlike Dr Who's TARDIS. But will it travel the cosmos in style or take you on a random journey?
HOT
The rumour mill says Gibson is about to be bought out - by a Chinese consortium, by Yamaha, by the Tooth Fairy, depending on who you believe. Gibson needs Yamaha - or someone like them - to step in.
Sure, it may look pretty. But this box can get ugly. In the way you want an octave fuzz and booster to react. when the lights are low this thing can get downright filthy and possibly inspire riffs to match
Snarky Puppy's fast-fingered guitarist gets his own signature overdrive pedal with built-in 6 band EQ section - and it really does sound pretty majestic judging from the demo videos. Check 'em out here.
A beast of a guitar, the new Lzzy Hale signature model shows what Gibson can achieve - we hope that they can sort out their current woes so we can get more instruments like this!
Leaked a few weeks ago via a PRS dealer, the signature PRS John Mayer 'Stratocaster-alike' Silver Sky model is now official and available for pre-order in four different finishes. Will this be a modern classic?
Stan Cotey of Fender has designed six brand new effects for pedals and now Fender has finally released some great demo videos of each one for you to check out.
Now available in a more pedalboard-friendly 'vertical' edition, the new ZVex '59 Sound Vertical also saves you money as well as real estate on your board.
British company Origin Effects, known for its compressor effect pedals, has launched its first overdrive effect, the RevivalDRIVE - with a big feature set and a price to match.
New rumours around Gibson's financial woes has bondholders demanding a new leadership structure for the company before offering it a financial lifeline. Are Henry's days at the helm numbered?
Pretty big Bluetooth issue discovered in the Fender Mustang 100 amplifier series and it is such a fail, it makes you wonder how Fender ever let it past final testing...
This new flanger pedal from US boutique pedal builder Old Blood Noise Endeavors will make you rethink what this classic modulation effect can achieve, with three distinct modes for serious versatility.
