Latest articles by Dave Hunter
Gibson's ES-345 struck a middle ground between the 335 and 355. It remains an underrated gem worth your time
Our reviewer hijacked an Abernethy Sonic Empress THC on its way to Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. He found it hard to let go
Inspired by 1960s budget axes, Justin Abernethy’s Sonic Empress THC combines vintage and modern in an offset design that’s built for these times
Mitch Colby resurrects the amp that gave Paul McCartney his start and put the Kinks on the hit parade
The Colby Elpico AC55 1x12 combo is a modern take on the 1950s/'60s Elpico AC55 that launched young British guitarists into the world of rock and roll
Seth Lover helped create a Telecaster range that remains one of the decade's shining moments
With its Wide Range humbuckers, the revised Fender Telecaster Thinline gets higher marks than most of its contemporaries.
"A fun and unique guitar that’s nevertheless a sleek beast of a performer." Meet the Frank Brothers Sonar
The Toronto guitar maker changes up its formula considerably, while retaining its touchstones for style and build quality
"One cool guitar from one of the hippest builders." The Rivolta Quadrata is a stylishly original take on a famous retro rock axe
Lightweight Simarouba wood for the body and glued-in neck keep this beauty at a respectable weight
Fuchs' ODH hybrid tube/solid-state amp is a gig-worthy tone machine at an approachable price
Designed by Andy Fuchs to suit his own needs, the new head looks primed for broad acceptance
Vox’s four new Valvenergy pedals aim to put tubey richness and compression in guitarists’ sight
The quartet of overdrive, booster, compress and graphic EQ pedals make use of Nutube technology
Fractal's VP4 delivers much of what's in its big-brother powerhouse, the Axe-FX III, in a compact and price-friendly unit
The VP4’s size and demands of its features call for minor connectivity shortcuts,
David Kowalski’s Rare Earth Germanium Device is one of the most innovative fuzzboxes we’ve seen
We put the Rare Earth Germanium Device to the test and discovered an inspiring variation on the iconic germanium fuzz
“Within an iota of perfection”: Any way you choose to look at it, the Florentine Empirial is a stunner
This creation from the Fender Custom Shop’s former principal master builder looks fantastic, and utterly refuses to put any limits on whatever you intend to do with it
Offered by Silvertone and Harmony, the H63 Espanada was the poor man’s Gibson ES-175
Like many of its Silvertone/Harmony siblings, the H63 Espanada makes up for its more corner-cutting features with a sound, vibe, and look all its own
“A sky’s-the-limit modeling environment”: Two Notes Genome review
Meet the impressive new DAW software plugin from digital guitar speaker cab and amp manufacturers Two Notes
“An enjoyable blend of the classic and the hot rod it’s intended to be”: RS Guitarworks Slab Lowboy review
How RS Guitarworks tapped into the Tele aesthetic and emerged with its own distinct P-90-loaded take on the classic formula
Overshadowed by the Les Paul, the Gibson ES-295 brought rock to concert stages in the hands of Scotty Moore
As played by Danny Gatton, Geordie Walker and Johnny Marr, the ES-295 was Gibson’s 'other' gold-finished electric guitar
Silktone Overdrive+ review
The Overdrive+ is a characterful, original, and extremely versatile design that stands out in a sea of overdrives
“The absence of tradition invites players to pick up a Novo without any preconceptions of what the guitar is or what it does”: Novo's Miris J has the feel and vibe of a rediscovered make from the golden age of the electric guitar
Boasting a bespoke Mastery trem, this stylish, beautifully-playing guitar is another winner from Dennis Fano and the Novo stable
“These two models offer well-considered features, and cut a fresh figure in a crowded field”: ToneLounge's Shoreline TVL and 2TV models smoothly blend the old and the new
The latest creations from veteran luthier Brian Swerdfeger play brilliantly, and feature an intriguing trick or two up their sleeves
Reverend Chris Freeman Signature review
Reverend has delivered big-league performance at semi-pro prices for many years – heck, even a couple of decades now – but the Chris Freeman Signature model offers up some hefty surprises nonetheless
How Ibanez turned a knockoff into a knockout with the Artist Model 2617
Forced to stop copying U.S. guitars, Ibanez launched the all-original Artist line and took America by storm
Dr. Z Z-80 Head review
Chime with oomph, shimmer, bloom, and gutsy edge of breakup are the main tricks in the Z-80's toolbox, and it does them with a gloriously musical and inspiring voice
The PRS Custom 24 “Bonni Pink” guitar is a stunning example of Paul Reed Smith's cornerstone model
Dedicated to a longtime PRS employee, the extremely flamey maple top, distinctive finish, and Paul Reed Smith autograph mark this guitar as a rare – and highly alluring – early PRS by any measure
“A three-in-one tribute to the best of British tone”: Carr Amplifiers Bel-Ray review
Steve Carr's latest creation packs the essence of classic British amp tone together with a tremolo that’s out of this world
Stedman PureConnect GP-2 and PK-3 cleaning kits review
The GP-2 and PK-3 provide a very functional means of performing necessary cleaning duties, and their mere presence in your gig bag offers a handy reminder to use them now and then
“The Opus might not displace your Helix, Fractal, Kemper or Quad Cortex, but it offers a lot of good-sounding emulation in a compact and usable package at a fraction of the price”: Two Notes Opus Amp Sim and IR Loader Unit review
There’s a lot of sound and even more flexibility in this little box, and it should prove to be exactly what many guitarists are looking for
