I recently picked up a PRS Silver Sky guitar: the full-fat USA version, not the Silver Sky SE version.
What convinced me to buy one? How does it sound? Read on for all of that and more.
Continue reading “First Impressions: 2022-spec PRS Silver Sky”
Tone. At Home.
I recently picked up a PRS Silver Sky guitar: the full-fat USA version, not the Silver Sky SE version.
What convinced me to buy one? How does it sound? Read on for all of that and more.
Continue reading “First Impressions: 2022-spec PRS Silver Sky”I’m lucky enough to own a physical Tweed Deluxe amp. I also think that a Tweed Deluxe amp rig for home use has become so expensive in 2023, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.
I’ve previously looked at UAD’s Fender 55 Tweed Deluxe plugin (which did well). How will Fractal Audio’s Deluxe Tweed model in my Axe-FX 3 compare?
Continue reading “#TweedTone: Comparing Fractal Audio’s Deluxe Tweed Model With A Physical Tweed Deluxe Amp”I’m lucky enough to own a physical Tweed Deluxe amp. I also think that a Tweed Deluxe amp rig for home use has become so expensive in 2023, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.

First up is the Fender 55 Tweed Deluxe plugin from Universal Audio.
Continue reading “#TweedTone: Comparing Universal Audio’s Fender 55 With A Real Fender Tweed Deluxe Amp”Regular readers will know that I’m quite the fan of “tweed tone”: the sound of classic amps from the fifties. So much so that, back in 2021, I went out and bought Fender’s modern reissue of the holy grail of tweed amps: the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe.

I’m glad that I got mine when I did, because I’m not sure that I could afford – or justify – buying the same amp in late 2023.
Read on if you’re interested in my thoughts and experiences on this topic.
Continue reading “#TweedTone: You’ve Got To Be A Huge Fan Of Tweed Tone To Get A Real Fender Tweed Deluxe Amp In 2023”After ticking off a whole heap of bucket-list items in July, August was mostly about something on my bucket list that had nothing to do with guitars and gear. Yes, I do have a life away from browsing eBay listings 😂
I did pick up a couple of items, though …
Continue reading “New Arrivals: August 2023”
It’s impossible to talk about the King of Blues without comparing it to the Analogman King of Tone – because that’s the question everyone wants to know. Is it a King of Tone clone, or (at the very least) a passible substitute?
No, it isn’t. The King of Blues is its own thing. And I really dig it. Read on for the full details, including audio demos to demonstrate why.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Tone City King of Blues Dual Overdrive Pedal”I recently picked up the black sheep of the legendary Honey Bee pedal family: the Honey Beest.
And I’m going to get through this First Impressions review without making any jokes at all about it being a beast of a pedal 😂
Continue reading “First Impressions: Bearfoot FX Honey Beest Overdrive Pedal”I recently picked up another tweed tone pedal: the Gee Willikers (Model G) overdrive pedal from Bearfoot FX.

What do I think of it? Read on for my First Impressions.
Continue reading “First Impressions: Bearfoot FX Gee Willikers (Model G) Overdrive Pedal”Back in January 2023, I picked up something a bit different: a pedal that’s designed (amongst other things) for boosting tweed amps.

Read on for my (overdue!) First Impressions, with audio examples too!
Continue reading “(Overdue) First Impressions: Lazy J Cruiser Deuce Boost Pedal”Rather than do a ‘best of’ style post, every year I’m doing a rundown of what gear we started with and what gear we ended up with – along with a discussion of why.
Previous years: [2019] [2020] [2021]
Continue reading “2022 Review: Gigging Gear”