Tech Reviews

The delay effects pedal has become hands down the most significant segment of a modern guitarist’s artillery. Since quite a big section of modern music is more ‘feel’ orientated, many guitarists have sacrificed virtuosic technique in exchange for the possibility of an escape from the conventional, which one can argue, is in itself is a Read More »

I had the honour of unwrapping 4 of the new Warwick RockBass® models when they reached our sunny shores. These included the 6 String Corvette, Streamer Neck Thru, Streamer LX and the Robert Trujillo (Metallica) Signature Bass. All of them are awesome basses, but for the purpose of this review I will focus on the Read More »

After previously reviewing a few Orange amps [Muse Dec/Jan ‘13], including the Tiny Terror combo, I was extremely grateful to receive both the Tiny Terror and Dark Terror lunchbox guitar heads along with a PPC212 2×12 cab to test. I am a huge Orange fan and have always been pleased with the rugged, organic tone Read More »

I was struck with a pang of nostalgia when I was given a Chord CSS90 “rock guitar” for review. It is almost an exact copy of the Ibanez RG range – of the RG270 [that I had as a youngster] in particular, actually – and boasts all the same features. Chord is a new arrival Read More »

As a sound guy, the intricacies of lighting have always eluded me. Sure, a lighting desk looks somewhat like a mixing console, but its overall operation remains somewhat nebulous. In my day, which really wasn’t that long ago, lighting and sound technicians were separate entities with clearly demarcated boundaries. I mean, I just never asked Read More »

Ashdown are one of the premier names in British bass amplification and their products can be seen on countless stages around the world. Yet, despite their prominence they haven’t stopped improving their existing models. This is certainly the case with the feature-laden ABM 500RC EVO III rack-mountable head, which boasts improved headroom, EQ and power-amp Read More »

Ever since the release of the Bose L series of compact loudspeaker arrays, there seems to a proliferation of other brands on the market that have followed suit. Not that that’s a bad thing, considering competition is key for the success of any sector of business, and in any case, it’s a very good concept Read More »

The Stagg name is a ubiquitous presence in the entry-level guitar market, offering a wide variety of very affordable instruments. While their price makes them generally attractive to beginners, they also offer plenty to the more seasoned player. Recently they released a range of solid top acoustics under the James Neligan name which cater particularly Read More »

Companies like Yamaha are constantly evolving. From their first mixer in 1972, the PM200, to their first digital mixer, the DMP7, and now to their newly released CL5, they have a broad history in both the digital and analogue domains and have progressed through many innovations. So – moving along with current trends – we Read More »

  Tiny Terror Combo, Terror Bass & Crush PiX 25BX Bass Combo Orange amplifiers are legendary. The dark horse of the British high gain sound, they made a name for themselves as manufacturers of high quality, brightly coloured, all-valve guitar amplifiers that were as distinctive as they were tonally recognizable. However, despite being founded in 1968 Read More »

Cort have always made good quality but relatively inexpensive guitars, including some great hollow models. However, the new Sunset series are a slight departure from their usual Gibson-inspired hollow bodies, leaning more to the classic Gretsch guitars. For the last month I’ve been taking a close look at the Sunset I in candy apple red. Read More »