All articles
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I Said Modeling Amps Would Catch Up in 2001. Here Is the Scorecard
October 11, 2026 · In April 2001 I wrote that modeling amps would get good enough. Here is exactly what I said, and how it held up against the Kemper, the Helix and a digital Deluxe Reverb.
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Running Two Amps at Once: ABY Boxes, Phase, and What Didn't Work in 2001
October 11, 2026 · How to run two guitar amps at once: what an ABY box does, why phase and ground loops cause thin tone and hum, and the blend experiment that failed for me in 2001.
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No Car, Lots of Stairs: Building a Lightweight Amp Rig for City Gigs
October 11, 2026 · How to build a light amp rig for gigs without a car: the 2x12 question I asked in 2001, what I actually kept, and what neodymium speakers and digital amps weigh now.
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Cheap Telecaster or Cheap Stratocaster? Why I Would Buy the Simpler One
October 11, 2026 · Is a cheap Telecaster a better buy than a cheap Stratocaster? A player's case for the simpler guitar, plus brass saddles, pickup swaps and what budget Squiers cost now.
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How to Get a Fatter Guitar Tone: Strings, Hands, and Why the Mid Knob Will Not Do It
October 11, 2026 · Why a mid knob rarely fattens a thin guitar tone. A 2001 argument about heavier strings, hand strength and a wide frequency spectrum, checked against D'Addario and Stevie Ray Vaughan's string gauges.
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Joe Bonamassa's Tone Master '59 Twin: Mixed Feelings, and the Violence Problem
October 11, 2026 · Fender's Joe Bonamassa Tone Master '59 Twin is a lighter Twin that holds together tighter. One player's take on what it gets right, why one tone is a limit, and what modelers still miss.
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Do FRFR Cabs Actually Sound Different? Size, EQ and the Looks Problem
October 11, 2026 · Are FRFR cabs all the same? A player's take on how size and EQ change the sound, plus the other problem with FRFR: they all look like PA speakers, and what to do about it.
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The PRS Lineup, Explained: SE, S2, CE, Core and Private Stock
October 11, 2026 · An objective guide to the PRS lineup in 2026: SE, S2, CE, Core and Private Stock compared by build location, construction and price, plus what each jump buys you.
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Squier vs Epiphone: Which Budget Brand Is Right for You?
October 11, 2026 · Squier or Epiphone? A plain comparison of the two budget brands by tier and price, from beginner guitars to gig-ready models, and how to choose between the Fender and Gibson families.
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Repairable Doesn't Mean Cheap: The Real Cost of Keeping a Tube Amp Running
September 23, 2026 · The popular case for tube amps says anything can be repaired decades from now. True, but tubes wear out on a schedule, and what a full retube actually costs adds up to more than people think.
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Know Your Instrument: Why Mastery Beats a Better Guitar
September 22, 2026 · The real secret to sounding good has never been the gear. A case for knowing every inch of the instrument you already own, why comfort on stage beats a 'better' guitar, and how that same idea applies to amp gain.
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PRS Custom 24 vs Les Paul: Why I Ended Up on One Side
September 22, 2026 · I used to own a PRS Custom 24. I own several Les Pauls now and no PRS. An honest look at the 'one size fits all' PRS tone argument and why character won out over versatility.
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Kemper Profiler Stage vs Player: Two Kempers, Two Different Jobs
September 22, 2026 · Owning both a Kemper Profiler Stage and a Profiler Player: why the Stage runs the real stage rig, why the Player earns its keep on small looping-into-PA setups, and the one thing the Player can't do.
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TC Electronic Ditto X2 vs X4: Which Looper Actually Earns Its Space
September 22, 2026 · Owning both the TC Electronic Ditto X2 and Ditto X4: the real difference in footswitches, looping structure, and pedalboard space, and which one actually belongs on your board.
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The Best Amp Is Sometimes the One You'll Actually Bring
September 22, 2026 · A Fuchs ODH 1x10 combo, bought for a very unglamorous reason: it's light enough to actually bring. What grab-and-go amp ownership really solves, and why it beat the bigger rigs to the door.
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Tube Amps vs. Modelers: You're Comparing the Wrong Thing
The perfect tube amp in your basement, tuned just right, is genuinely the best thing you'll ever hear. That's not the comparison a gigging player is actually making. It's about what reaches the audience, and how consistently.
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Fender Tone Master FR-10 vs Headrush: Why I Switched (and Bought a Second One)
September 4, 2026 · Two Tone Master FR-10s bought five months apart, and what actually changed coming from Headrush: sound, tone-shaping controls, and real value.
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FGN Masterfield Review: Two of Them, and the Semi-Hollow Body Size Nobody Talks About
September 4, 2026 · Two FGN Masterfields, one with P-90s, one a block-inlay Custom, and the case for a body size that sits perfectly between an ES-335 and an ES-339.
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Why Japanese Telecasters Keep Winning
September 4, 2026 · Two FujiGen-built Telecasters bought three weeks apart, a heavy-but-loved Kotzen signature, and the actual argument for why Japan-market guitars are built to a different standard.
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Fender Brad Paisley Telecaster Review: Paulownia, a Spruce Cap, and a Second Purchase
September 4, 2026 · Owned and gigged, bought a second one on purpose. What the paulownia body and spruce cap actually do, what the pickups get right, and the one thing that still bugs me.
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One Note, a Dozen Places: The Tone You Already Have Without a Single Pedal
The guitar is arguably the most expressive instrument on earth after the human voice. Before you buy a pedal for a new sound, here's what picking, position, bending, harmonics, and your own volume knob already give you.
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Fender Richie Kotzen Telecaster Review: The Neck I Love, the Bridge Pickup I Don't Reach For
Owned since late 2025. A huge neck that's genuinely great to play, real weight to carry, and a bridge pickup voiced closer to a humbucker than I want out of a Telecaster.
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Fender Player II vs Player Plus: What the Extra Money Actually Buys
August 21, 2026 · Player Plus sits above Player II with hotter pickups, locking tuners, and a rolled fingerboard edge. Here's who actually needs those upgrades and who doesn't.
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Gibson USA vs Epiphone Inspired by Gibson: Is the Real Thing Worth the Gap?
August 21, 2026 · What US manufacturing, USA pickups, and the Gibson name actually buy you over Epiphone's Inspired by Gibson line, and where that gap has genuinely closed.
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The Guitar Gear Glossary: Every Term Explained in Plain English
August 21, 2026 · A plain-English glossary of guitar, amp, and pedal terms, from scale length and tonewood to true bypass and headroom, no jargon required.
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Squier Affinity vs Squier Sonic: The Two Cheapest Fenders, Compared
August 21, 2026 · Sonic and Affinity are Fender's two entry-level Squier tiers. Here's what actually differs and how to pick without overspending on a first guitar.
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What's Actually in My Rack Right Now
August 21, 2026 · A running inventory of the guitars, amps, and pedals actually in Mike's rack today, sorted by what he's tested and what's still unreviewed.
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The Fender Lineup, Explained: Every Tier From Squier Sonic to Custom Shop
August 12, 2026 · An objective guide to where each Fender and Squier tier actually sits in 2026: what changes at each price jump, who each one is really for, and where our real reviews overlap.
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The Gibson and Epiphone Lineup, Explained: Every Tier From Player Pack to Murphy Lab
August 12, 2026 · An objective guide to where each Epiphone and Gibson tier actually sits in 2026: what changes at each price jump, who each one is really for, and where our real reviews overlap.
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Loud Pickups Aren't Good Pickups: What Output Actually Buys You
August 12, 2026 · Why high-output pickups get confused with quality pickups, why single-coil dynamics matter more than most players realize, and how the right amp changes the whole equation.
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Epiphone Futura Series: The New Shape Nobody's Reissuing
August 12, 2026 · Epiphone's Futura series ditches the reissue playbook for original contemporary shapes and modern output, and why that means extra scrutiny on any specific example.
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Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom: A Budget Mirror of the Real Custom Shop
August 12, 2026 · What Epiphone's Inspired by Gibson Custom tier actually replicates from Gibson's real Custom Shop catalog, and why it's worth checking this tier before assuming you need Custom Shop money.
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Epiphone Inspired by Gibson: The Biggest Value Jump in the Whole Catalog
August 12, 2026 · Why the modern Epiphone Inspired by Gibson line is the single best value tier on the entire Gibson/Epiphone ladder: real Gibson specs, licensed pickups, and a fraction of USA pricing.
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Epiphone Originals: Not Gibson Copies, Epiphone's Own History
August 12, 2026 · The Casino, Riviera, Sheraton, Coronet, and Wilshire aren't budget versions of a Gibson model, they're Epiphone's own semi-hollow and hollow-body heritage, P-90s and all.
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Epiphone Player Pack: The Beginner Bundle, Honestly Assessed
August 12, 2026 · What's actually in an Epiphone Player Pack, what corners get cut to hit the price, and why this tier exists purely to get someone playing, not to be anyone's long-term guitar.
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Fender American Professional II: Where 'Made in America' Stops Being a Marketing Line
August 12, 2026 · What actually changes when a Fender moves from Mexico to Corona: wood selection, V-Mod II pickups, and the build consistency you're really paying for at this tier.
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Fender American Ultra II: Maximum Modern Comfort, Zero Vintage Compromise
August 12, 2026 · Contoured heels, noiseless pickups, and a modern neck shape: what American Ultra II actually changes, who it's built for, and the tradeoff hidden in its quietest feature.
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Fender American Vintage II: USA Build, Vintage-Correct Everything
August 12, 2026 · What replaced the discontinued American Original line: period-correct pickups, hardware, and finishes built to a specific year, at USA pricing and USA authenticity.
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Fender Custom Shop: What You're Actually Paying For
August 12, 2026 · Master Built one-offs, Team-Built production runs, relic aging, and artist signature models: a breakdown of what Custom Shop actually is and why it's a different kind of purchase entirely.
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Fender Player II: The Default Fender, and Why That's a Compliment
August 12, 2026 · Player II is the tier most gigging and recording players should actually buy. What changed from the original Player, what it costs in 2026, and who it's not for.
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Fender Player Plus: More Output, More Travel-Stability, Still Not USA
August 12, 2026 · Player Plus sits above Player II with hotter pickups, locking tuners, and a rolled fingerboard edge. What that buys, what it doesn't, and who it's actually for.
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Squier Affinity Series: The Real Step Up From Sonic
August 12, 2026 · What actually changes between Squier Sonic and Squier Affinity, typical street prices, notable models, and who this tier is genuinely right for.
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Squier Classic Vibe: Why It Stops Being a Squier Joke
August 12, 2026 · What actually changes at the Classic Vibe tier: vintage-correct specs, real pickups, and the build quality that makes this the point where Squier stops being a punchline.
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Squier Paranormal: The Weird-Shape Tier, Explained
August 12, 2026 · Squier's Paranormal series covers off-pattern shapes and oddball specs at a mid-tier price. What's in the line, what it costs, and who it's actually built for.
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Squier Sonic Series: What Fender's Cheapest Guitars Actually Get You
August 12, 2026 · A spec-and-positioning breakdown of Squier's entry-level Sonic series: what's actually different at this price, which models exist, and who should (and shouldn't) buy one.
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Fender Standard Series: The Newest Rung on the Ladder, Explained
August 12, 2026 · Fender's newest tier slots in below Player with a real Fender badge and a Mexican build. Here's exactly what that badge does and doesn't guarantee yet.
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Fender Vintera III: Buying a Specific Decade, Not Just a Guitar
August 12, 2026 · Vintera III is Fender's reissue line, built to replicate a specific era's pickup voicing and hardware. Who should buy into a decade instead of an all-rounder.
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Gibson Custom Murphy Lab: Buying a Guitar That Looks 65 Years Old
August 12, 2026 · What Murphy Lab aging actually is, the difference between Light, Heavy, and Ultra Light aging, honest 2026 pricing, and who this most polarizing Gibson tier is really for.
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Gibson Custom Shop: What R7, R8, and R9 Actually Mean
August 12, 2026 · A real breakdown of Gibson Custom Shop's Historic Reissue R-number system, what R7, R8, and R9 actually specify, and where the rest of this tier's pricing comes from.
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Gibson USA Modern Collection: Same Shapes, Fewer Vintage Compromises
August 12, 2026 · How Gibson's Modern Collection changes the Original Collection recipe: neck profiles, switching options, and asymmetrical contours, plus honest pricing and who it's actually for.
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Gibson USA Original Collection: The Classic Recipe, Built New
August 12, 2026 · What separates Gibson USA's Original Collection from Epiphone below it and Custom Shop above it: materials, build process, notable models, and honest pricing for 2026.
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Analog vs Digital Pedals: What You Actually Give Up (and Gain)
August 11, 2026 · The real tradeoffs between analog and digital effects pedals: latency, tone, flexibility, reliability, and an honest answer on when each one actually matters.
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Combo vs Head and Cab: Which Should You Actually Buy?
August 11, 2026 · The real tradeoffs between a combo amp and a separate head-and-cab rig: weight, tone, flexibility, and cost, and how to actually decide which fits how you play.
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Guitar Humidity and Storage: The Cheap Insurance Nobody Buys
August 11, 2026 · What humidity actually does to a guitar, the warning signs of damage before it's expensive, and the cheap, boring habits that prevent nearly all of it.
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Nitro vs Poly Finish: Does It Actually Change the Tone?
August 11, 2026 · The real differences between nitrocellulose and polyurethane guitar finishes: durability, feel, aging, and an honest look at whether either one actually changes how a guitar sounds.
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Class A vs Class AB Tube Amps: What Actually Changes in the Tone
July 31, 2026 · The real difference between Class A and Class AB power amp designs, why Class A breaks up earlier and sweeter, and why the higher spec number on the AB amp doesn't mean it wins.
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Buffer vs True Bypass: What Actually Matters for Your Tone
July 31, 2026 · What a buffer actually does to your signal, when true bypass helps and when it quietly hurts you, and how to figure out what your board actually needs.
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Spring vs Plate vs Hall Reverb: What Each One Actually Sounds Like and Which Pedal to Buy
July 31, 2026 · The real sonic differences between spring, plate, and hall reverb, why guitarists default to spring for a reason, and how to pick a reverb pedal that matches your music instead of the spec sheet.
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Scale Length Explained: 25.5" vs 24.75" and What It Actually Changes
July 31, 2026 · Why the distance between nut and bridge affects string tension, tone, and playing feel more than almost any other spec, and how to use it to actually choose a guitar.
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EAST Studio 2 Review: Jeff Bober's Next Chapter, Owned Early and Recorded Often
July 27, 2026 · A long-term Budda Superdrive owner reviews the EAST Amplification Studio 2: the lineage, the thicker-throatier voice, and why it became the recording amp of the house.
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Mesa Subway Rocket Retrospective: The Amp That Beat the NYC Stairs Test
July 27, 2026 · A long-term owner looks back at Mesa's compact Subway Rocket: the portability that earned it a decade of sit-in gigs, the voice it refuses to do, and what to pay used.
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Buying a Guitar Online Without Playing It First: How to Not Get Burned
July 22, 2026 · Reverb, marketplace, and retailer tactics from someone who's bought and sold online for years: what photos to demand, what questions filter sellers, and when to walk.
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Pedal Power, Explained: Why Your Board Hums, Clicks, and Dies (and the $0-to-$150 Fixes)
July 22, 2026 · Daisy chains vs isolated supplies, milliamps, polarity, and voltage: everything about powering pedals, in plain English, ranked by what actually causes problems.
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Why My Live Rig Is a Kemper (While My Tube Amps Stay Home)
July 18, 2026 · A working guitarist's split-rig confession: boutique tube amps for home and studio, a Kemper Profiler Stage for every gig, and the honest reasons why.
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Single-Coil vs P-90 vs Humbucker: The Pickup Guide From a Rack That Has All Three
July 18, 2026 · What actually makes single-coils, P-90s, and humbuckers sound different, which music each serves, and how to pick, from someone who gigs and records all three.
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Your Tube Amp Is Too Loud: Every Real Fix, Ranked
July 18, 2026 · Attenuators, low-watt amps, speaker swaps, master tricks, and the modeler escape hatch: every legitimate way to get tube tone at survivable volume, ranked honestly.
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What Is an FRFR Speaker? The Missing Piece of Your Modeler Rig, Explained
July 16, 2026 · FRFR means full range, flat response: a neutral powered cab that lets your modeler's cab sim do the talking. What it is, why it feels different, and how to pick one.
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Reverend Eastsider T vs Fender Telecaster: I Own Both, Here's the Honest Split
July 16, 2026 · The modern T-style question, answered from a rack that holds both: where the Reverend objectively wins, where the Fender recipe still rules, and who should buy which.
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The Used Electric Guitar Checklist: What to Inspect Before You Hand Over Cash
July 16, 2026 · A seller's-side view of buying used electric guitars: the ten-minute inspection, what actually matters (neck, frets, electronics), and what's just haggling theater.
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Budda Superdrive Review: The Most Underrated Amp on the Planet (I Own Five)
July 15, 2026 · A long-term owner's review of the Budda Superdrive SD18, SD30, SD80, and V20: the Plexi-meets-Dumble sound, why the world overlooked it, and how to buy one used.
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Gibson ES-335 with P-90s: The Rare One, Reviewed After Years of Ownership
July 14, 2026 · A long-term review of the Custom Shop ES-335 with factory dogear P-90s: what the rare pickup swap does to the most famous semi-hollow ever made.
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Friedman BE-Mini Review: The $200 Answer to a $3,000 Question
July 14, 2026 · Friedman's 30-watt lunchbox head puts the BE-100's hot-rodded voice in a solid-state box. What it nails, what it can't, and who it's really for.
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Reverend Eastsider T Review: The Telecaster Fender Doesn't Make
July 14, 2026 · A long-term look at Pete Anderson's Reverend signature: chambered korina, roasted maple, and Talnico pickups in a T-style that fixes the Tele's few honest flaws.
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Telecaster vs Stratocaster: One of Them Needs an Entourage
July 14, 2026 · The eternal Fender question, answered with real differences (bridge, pickups, feel) and one firmly held opinion: Teles plug in, Strats bring a support team.
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Your First Pedalboard for Under $200 (Buy in This Order)
July 12, 2026 · A complete, expandable first board: which pedals to buy, in what order, where used money goes furthest, and the traps that waste half your budget.
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The $40 Guitar Setup: The Best Upgrade You Can Buy Is Not a Guitar
July 12, 2026 · What a professional setup actually includes, why it transforms cheap guitars, when you need one, and which parts you can safely learn to do yourself.
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Acoustic or Electric First? Pick the One You'll Actually Practice
July 11, 2026 · The honest answer to the most common beginner guitar question, including the finger-pain myth, the real costs of each path, and the one factor that predicts who keeps playing.
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Modeling Won. The Last Honest Argument for Tubes Is Dying Too.
July 11, 2026 · Blind tests say almost nobody can hear the difference anymore. The holdout argument was 'amp in the room,' and FRFR cabs like Fender's Tone Master FR-12 are ending that one.
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Squier Classic Vibe vs Fender Player: Where Does the Extra $300 Actually Go?
July 11, 2026 · The best Squiers and the entry Fenders overlap more than the headstock suggests. What the price gap really buys, and who should pocket the difference.
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Buying a Used Tube Amp: The 15-Minute Checklist That Saves You Hundreds
July 11, 2026 · What to check before handing over cash for a used tube amp: tubes, pots, reverb, speaker, transformers, and the haggling math sellers expect you to know.
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Boss Katana vs Positive Grid Spark: Which Practice Amp Fits How You Actually Play?
July 10, 2026 · The two most recommended home practice amps compared honestly: sound, app dependence, gigging headroom, and which player each one actually suits.
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Pedal Order Explained: The Signal Chain That Makes Everything Sound Better
July 10, 2026 · The standard pedal order, why it works, and when to break it. Tuner, drive, modulation, delay, reverb, plus where loopers, wahs, and fuzz actually go.
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The Apartment Guitarist's Gear Guide: Great Tone Without the Volume
July 9, 2026 · How to get amp tone you love at apartment volume: modelers, headphone rigs, low-watt amps, and what to skip. Real budgets, honest tradeoffs.