Tone. At Home.
All of the recurring features – #CoffeeAndKlon, First Impressions, #LongTermReview, New Arrivals – all in one place.
#CoffeeAndKlon is my (irregular!) Sunday morning magazine series, where I talk about whatever’s on my mind right now. There’s always coffee, and there’s normally chat about the Klon and its many competitors.
You may be aware that a significant section of the guitar-playing community is currently very unhappy [understatement of the year – Ed] with Fender’s recent actions over the Stratocaster body shape.
Let’s discuss it.
Continue reading “#CoffeeAndKlon 45: Let’s Talk About Fender”‘Studio Diary’ is an occasional series where I talk about building a home recording setup for hobbyists and enthusiasts like us. I share my personal experiences, and the thinking behind some of the decisions that I’ve made along the way.
Many of us have tales of “the one that got away” … a guitar or an amp that we’ll always regret not buying at the time. This is one of those tales, and the story of how I’ve recently reproduced something similar in my Axe-FX 3.
And it’s all thanks to That Pedal Show.
Continue reading “Studio Diary #64: Chasing The Amp That Got Away”Real life (and my work on the upcoming Marshall Origin 20H long-term review) doesn’t leave much time for exploring new (to me) gear at the moment.
So I’m trying to be sensible, and only pick up gear that solves a problem, helps me with the Marshall Origin 20H review, or is just too good an opportunity to pass on.
Continue reading “New Arrivals: February 2026”#CoffeeAndKlon is my (irregular!) Sunday morning magazine series, where I talk about whatever’s on my mind right now. There’s always coffee, and there’s normally chat about the Klon and its many competitors.
This week, I want to talk about the new products that were announced at (or around) Winter NAMM 2026 that I’m very interested in … and the ones that I wish had been.
Continue reading “#CoffeeAndKlon 43: Winter NAMM 2026”This month, I’ve mostly been looking at gear to solve problems I’ve run into (or questions that I want to answer) for my upcoming Marshall Origin 20H long-term review.
Continue reading “New Arrivals: January 2026”Quick Listen is where I capture and share guitar tones that I’ve dialled in. No exploration; little discussion – just a quick audio demo or two along with a documented signal chain.
Today, I’ve made a quick recording of Wampler’s tcd distortion pedal into one of my Axe-FX 3 pedal platform presets. Click through to have a listen.
Continue reading “Quick Listen: Wampler tcd Distortion Pedal With A Gibson Les Paul”I recently bought a Palmer PCABM.
What do I think of it? Here are my first impressions.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Palmer PCABM”Pros and Cons is an irregular series where I do a deep dive into a decision that I need to make – normally about gear for a home hobbyist studio. Here, I share whatever problem I’m trying to solve, all the background reading on the various options, and a look at the pros and cons of each way forward. I find that this process helps me make a more informed – and less emotive – decision. If you’re faced with a similar decision, I hope it helps you too.
Are they overkill luxury, or a necessary expense for any home hobbyist who uses multiple amps into the same load box?
That’s the question I’m trying to answer for myself in this post.
Continue reading “Studio Diary #63: Pros and Cons Debate: Exploring Amp/Cab Switchers”Did you have a good Christmas and New Year?
I did: I spent a lot of time with my old Marshal Origin 20H amp and the Wampler tcd drive pedal. Great-sounding combination.
And that got me thinking about what I want to cover in my long-term review of the Marshall Origin 20H, and why I still want to write about this amp at all after nearly 8 years of owning it.
Continue reading “Marshall Origin 20H in 2026: Planning The Long-Term Review”Traditionally, December is a month where I try to avoid buying new (to me) gear, because Santa Claus (aka my wife Kristi) normally has something under the tree for me.
This year, though, I was forced into an emergency purchase, because I sat down one afternoon and discovered that my entire guitar rig was dead. Oh the (necessary) joys of using a power conditioner to power everything!
Continue reading “New Arrivals: December 2025”