Articles

A dreadnought isn't just louder, it's a different instrument to an OM or parlour. Here's what actually changes in tone, feel and playability.

Fuzz and noise gates fight over the same territory. Here's why gating a fuzz kills the thing that makes it sound good, and what to do instead.

Bass string gauge changes tension, feel and fundamental more than most players expect. Here's how to pick a set that actually sits in the pocket.

A plain-English checklist for spotting when your guitar needs a setup, plus what you can check yourself before paying a tech.

Combo, head-and-cab, or modelling amp? Here's the plain-English breakdown of which amp type actually fits your situation, not your fantasy gig.

Fuzz on an acoustic-electric can sound glorious or fall apart completely. Doug explains why the pickup type decides everything, and what to try first.

Where you place delay and reverb around a cranked valve amp changes everything about ambient tone. Here's how I set mine up, and why.

Your picking hand shapes high-gain tone more than any pedal or amp setting. Here's how attack angle and force change what gear actually works for you.

Reamping means tracking a clean DI first, then running it through amps or sims later. Here's why that one habit fixes most of your home recording headaches.

Neck relief is the setup detail most players skip. Here's what the right amount actually feels like, and why chasing "dead straight" hurts your tone.

Ambient bass tones can work live and in the studio, but only if delay and reverb are set up to protect the low end. Here's how I do it.

No, it's not every three months by law. Here's how to actually tell when your strings are done, based on playing habits, not the calendar.

Daz breaks down which string gauges actually work for drop tunings on 6, 7 and 8-string guitars, and why going too light wrecks your tone.

A jazz player's take on using fuzz with archtops and hollowbodies — where it sits beautifully and where it turns to mud.

An archtop and a Strat don't want the same amp. Marc explains headroom, EQ voicing and why wattage matters differently for clean jazz tone.

Stacking overdrive pedals isn't just doubling up — it's about how each stage shapes the next. Jez explains the approach that actually works.

Pickup height is one of the most overlooked adjustments on any electric guitar. Marc explains what it does to your tone, output and feel — and how to set it right.

Most overdrive pedals were designed for guitar. Here's what happens when you plug a bass into them — and how to get dirt that still locks in the pocket.

Running fuzz into a high-gain amp sounds like a terrible idea — until it isn't. Daz breaks down why the combination works, when it collapses, and how to dial it in.

Audio vs linear taper pots: why your volume knob might jump from dead to full in two turns, and what swapping them actually does to your guitar's feel and tone.

The truss rod isn't just for fixing a bowed neck — it shapes feel, action and intonation across the whole fretboard. Here's what's actually happening when you turn it.

Mismatching your amp's impedance output to your speaker cab is one of the quieter ways to damage a valve amp. Here's what the numbers actually mean.

Scale length is one of the most overlooked specs on a metal guitar. Here's what it actually does to your tone, tension and tuning stability.

True bypass is one of the most-argued terms in pedal-land. Here's what it actually means, why it matters (and when it really doesn't).

Volume swells aren't just a playing trick — they fundamentally change how reverb and delay pedals behave. Here's what to look for in your effects chain.

Plugging in vs putting up a mic — or blending both. Here's what actually works when recording acoustic guitar at home, from a builder who's tried all of it.

Roundwound, flatwound, halfwound — string winding affects tone, feel and how your pedals respond. Martin explains what's actually going on.

Fuzz pedals aren't just for rhythm mayhem. Jez explains how to shape a fuzz lead tone that sings without turning to mush.

Neck profile shapes how fast you play, how your hand fatigues, and how clean your riffing sounds under gain. Here's what actually matters.

Nut slot depth is one of the least discussed setup variables — and one of the most consequential. Here's what it actually does to your tone, intonation and feel.

Fuzz pedals respond to your guitar's controls in ways overdrive and distortion don't. Here's what's actually happening in the circuit, and how to use it.

Your overdrive pedal doesn't work in isolation — the amp behind it shapes everything. Jez explains what the clean channel actually does to your dirt tone.

String-skipping looks flashy but it exposes every weakness in your high-gain signal chain. Here's what it demands from your guitar, gain staging, and amp sim.

High action makes learning guitar harder than it needs to be. Here's what action actually is, how to spot a bad setup, and what to do about it.

Tube amp breakup and pedal distortion both add grit, but they work differently. Here's what that means for your tone and how you use them together.

Your picking technique shapes your tone before any amp or pedal gets involved. Here's what that means for choosing your first or next guitar.

High-gain amp sims can hiss, hum and squeal without a noise gate in the right place. Here's how to place and dial one in properly.

A capo is one of the cheapest, most useful bits of kit a beginner can own. Here's exactly what it does to your guitar and how to use it properly.

Feedback and decay are the most misunderstood controls on any delay pedal. Marc breaks down what they actually do — and how to use them musically.

Impulse responses turn a flat DI signal into something that breathes like a real cabinet. Jez explains what IRs actually do, how to load them, and why most people get them wrong.

Pickup height is the most overlooked setup variable on a bass. Sheildon breaks down what moving them up or down actually does to your tone, output and feel.

Bends going sharp and not returning to pitch? Jez explains the real causes — nut slots, string trees, saddle friction — and how to sort them.

Spruce, cedar, mahogany — the soundboard wood shapes everything about how an acoustic guitar responds. Here's what each actually does to your tone.

Stack a fuzz and an overdrive and the order matters enormously. Martin breaks down what each combination actually does to your tone.

Fingerpicking and overdrive pedals have a complicated relationship. Here's what's actually happening when your tone cleans up — or collapses — under your fingers.

Palm muting is the engine of heavy rhythm tone — but your technique determines whether your gear can even deliver it. Here's what's actually happening.

Wattage isn't just a volume number — it shapes how an amp breaks up, breathes, and responds. Marc explains what the specs actually mean.

Confused by your guitar's pickup switch? Here's what each position does to your tone, in plain English — no jargon required.

Your overdrive pedal isn't broken — your amp might just not be the right partner for it. Rob explains why amp type changes everything.

Regular looper use rewires how you hear your own playing — and quietly exposes every weakness in your effects chain. Here's what it taught me.

Put fuzz before reverb and you get one sound. Flip the order and everything changes. Doug breaks down why pedal order matters more than most players expect.

Alnico or ceramic — the magnet inside your pickup shapes your tone more than most players realise. Jez breaks down what the science actually means for real playing.

Your guitar's volume knob isn't just an on/off switch. Marc explains how it reshapes overdrive response, cleans up dirt, and gives you a dynamic range most players leave on the table.

Humidity wrecks acoustic guitars quietly and expensively. Here's what's actually happening inside your instrument and how to stop it.

Humbuckers and single-coils don't just sound different through a fuzz — they change how the circuit behaves entirely. Here's what's actually happening.

Series, parallel, coil-split — three wiring options on the same pickup, three completely different sounds. Jez breaks down what's actually happening inside the circuit.

Rolling your guitar's volume knob isn't just about getting quieter. It's one of the most powerful tone controls on your whole rig — here's why.

Running bass through a guitar amp? Here's what the speaker cabinet is actually doing to your low end — and how to work with it, not against it.

Fuzz knobs don't work like distortion or overdrive controls. Here's what Fuzz, Volume and Tone actually do — and how to dial in sounds you'll actually use.

Fizzy, thin, buzzy distortion is one of the most common beginner frustrations. Here's why it happens and exactly what to fix first.