As is usual for these events - I prepared a list of my likely targets to hit up during the day - which this time around happened to be my various already established friends and allies from the guitar show circuit. I did not spot any suitable new prospects on the show roster - nor when I actually did the rounds!

My list looked as follows :

• Audiostorm - Lydia-Sean
• Buzzing Bugs - Dan
• Flattley Guitar Pedals - Paul & Jan
• Funny Little Boxes - Andy
• Goliath FX - Matt
• Heavy Repping - John

So in an unusual departure for me, I’m going to let you participate in the decision. This is actually quite the conundrum - on account of the wildly varying price points - where each subsequent one is twice the price of its predecessor.

Each one of these is a different device as such - in terms of its workings, design and ergonomics. So you’re not entirely comparing like with like - but then that’s the same with all of pedaldom - where we frequently compare and contrast pedals across ...

This has been a long-time in the making! Adrian Thorpe was the first Pedal Builder I properly connected with nearly 10 years ago now at an Olympia Guitar Show I believe it was.

Thorpy actually volunteered this collaboration off his own back - he was the one to suggest this - as a reward for GPX’s long and continued support of the ThorpyFX brand. He spotted that I had used the Heavy Water 3-in-1 Boost on my board right since it first came out in the summer of 2019. And as a power user of ...

Readers should know that I’ve had a long journey with picks / plectrums over the years and have probably tried a couple of hundred different varieties by now across dozens of brands. None of my exploratory journeys are anywhere close to being finished though - and I’m always delighted when I can check out new and innovative variants - as is the case with these Honey Picks - which with their grip inlays are surely one of the most attractive varieties out there today.

I had glimpsed them ...

So this time around I’m including a number of the ones you said I left out of the last rundown - not all of those mind you as I’m looking to do 4 of these most likely. The first episode of these was more the classics obviously - and here we’re starting to move a little more left-field in places.

Significant to this selection are avant-garde designers Leonardo Lospennato and Ulrich Teuffel - both with 3 entries apiece. I will keep sprinkling in the more mainstay ones that you’re keen on - ...

OK - so a few things right off the bat - this listing is not for those who like simple and identical fret markers on all frets - Dots, Blocks, Trapezoids, Fins, Chevrons, Moons, Crosses and the like - this is where there is a flowing pattern or sequence - and where the key frets are properly marked out - but every marker is different and distinct.

Probably PRS is the most famous brand for this - and the PRS Birds are pretty much Classic and Ubiquitous in their own way - whether Solid, ...

I last did this exercise back in February of 2018 - where the core of the article was solid - while I only focused on 9 of the more popular brands. This time around I up the ante to 25 key electric guitar string brands - so there really should be something for everyone here!

Most 6 string electric guitars are supplied with standard 10 gauge (10-46) strings usually OEM’d for the guitar manufacturer by one of the main manufacturers or overseas subsidiaries. Some guitars are down-tuned by ...

One of my readers and indeed good friend - chanced upon my ’Choosing the Right Guitar Pick’ article from around 6 years ago - when I was just starting down the path of pick exploration. He enquired why I hadn’t done more articles on picks - when I actually did a series of 3 back then :

• Choosing the Right Guitar Pick - October 2016
• Zeroing in on the Pick of Destiny - December 2016
• The Hawk ToneBird 7 is my Pick of Destiny! - May 2017

And of course a Jim Dunlop RIP / recap from 2019

...

I’ve been following Oriol and his El Garatge devices on Instagram for a while now, and have been aware of his smart Expression Knob in particular for a fair few months. Oriol is a desktop synth specialist and engineer who happens to own three of my favourite synths - the Teenage Engineering OP-1 (which is the only one I own), Korg Minilogue XD, and Access Virus. He’s one of those innovative musician engineers who is always looking to improve and innovate his environment - and each ...