James Harrison
James learned guitar in a cold Leeds practice room and taught himself to fix his own gear when he couldn't afford to replace it. That DIY instinct became a lifelong obsession with how instruments are built and why some just feel right. He writes buying guides and gear features for players who want the honest version, not the sales pitch.
Articles by James Harrison
Fender Locking Tuners: A Complete Buyer's Guide
If you've ever struggled with tuning stability on your electric guitar, Fender locking tuners offer a proven solution. This buying guide walks you through the essential specifications, compatibility c...
E Bow Guitar for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Using an E-Bow guitar for the first time feels like breaking the rules—because you are. This beginner's guide demystifies the tool and builds confidence to explore.
Steinberg Media: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying Steinberg media means understanding what the company's virtual instruments and sound libraries deliver, what you actually need, and how to build a collection that fits your creative style and b...
New Music Releases for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Keeping up with new music releases doesn't have to be overwhelming. This beginner guide teaches practical strategies for discovering new music matching your taste without spending hours searching.
Mic Stereo: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Stereo microphones capture spatial dimension and width. Discover stereo techniques, microphone configurations, price guidance, and how to select mics for your application.
Les Paul: A Complete Buyer's Guide
From budget tiers to fretwork checks, here is the plain-spoken guide to buying a Les Paul without making expensive mistakes.
Passive Amp for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Confused by passive amp terminology? This beginner's guide demystifies passive amplification, explains why many players love this approach, and shows you how to get started with confidence.
The Complete Guide to Mxr Guitar Pedals
MXR guitar pedals define reliability and professional tone. This guide covers core models, effect types, and why MXR remains the choice of touring musicians.
Daisy Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing the right daisy guitar means understanding construction quality, tonal characteristics, and playability. This guide covers specs to evaluate, price ranges, and what to check before buying.
Markbass Bass Amp: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Markbass makes compact, lightweight amps for every budget. This buying guide focuses on specs that actually matter, price tiers, features worth paying for, and how to avoid overspending or undershooti...
White Flying V: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A white Flying V is a striking choice for any guitarist. This buying guide covers finish durability, essential specs and pitfalls that waste time and money.
Tool Vinyl Records: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Collecting Tool vinyl records requires understanding pressings, condition grading, and value. This guide covers originals vs reissues, pricing, and where to buy safely.
The Complete Guide to Squier Precision Bass Guitar
The Squier Precision Bass provides legitimate entry into electric bass playing, offering proven design and professional tone at accessible prices for beginners and intermediate players.
Midi Keyboard Weighted for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A complete guide for beginners starting on weighted MIDI keyboards—understanding weighted action, building proper technique, and making your first musical productions.
The Complete Guide to Uk Album Chart This Week
The UK album chart this week reflects the nation's musical tastes with top rankings from the Official Charts Company. Explore what's charting, how it's calculated, and what the trends reveal about cur...
Guitar Amplifier Attenuator for Beginners: A Complete Guide
An amplifier attenuator lets you crank your amp at high volume internally while reducing actual output. This beginner's guide covers setup, expectations, and whether one is right for you.
Large String Instrument: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a large string instrument means balancing budget, build quality and playability. Our guide covers the specs that matter, wood quality markers, and common pitfalls to avoid.
The Complete Guide to Christmas Number 1 List
The UK Christmas number 1 tradition represents a century of festive musical culture. Discover what songs have topped the charts and what the annual race reveals about British taste.
The Complete Guide to Guitar Strap Buttons
Guitar strap buttons are small but crucial components that secure your strap and keep your instrument safe. Discover what makes quality strap buttons and when to upgrade your hardware.
Tape Delay Pedal: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Tape delay pedals offer authentic vintage tone that digital effects can't match. But they're also complex, require maintenance, and demand careful buying decisions. This guide shows you how to choose...
Ibanez Les Paul: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Learn what to look for when buying an Ibanez Les Paul guitar, from price tiers and tonewoods to electronics and common pitfalls.
Luna Ukulele: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A practical guide to choosing the right Luna ukulele — from soprano to baritone sizes, wood types, price and what you're paying for.
The Complete Guide to Boss Overdrive
A Boss overdrive pedal delivers musical saturation that enhances your tone—perfect for blues crunch, rock sustain, or jazz warmth.
Music Production Machine: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a music production machine is a significant investment. This guide cuts through marketing hype to focus on practical specs, real-world tradeoffs, and workflow essentials that separate a good bu...
What James Harrison covers
Acoustic Guitar
An acoustic guitar is a versatile steel-string instrument for strumming, fingerstyle, songwriting and live performance.
23 topics
Electric Guitar
A versatile amplified instrument for rhythm, lead and genre-spanning performance, from clean tones to high-gain sounds.
27 topics
Fender Stratocaster
The fender stratocaster is a versatile electric guitar known for bright tones, comfort and wide genre appeal.
8 topics
Guitar Guitar
Guitar guitar is a broad category for instruments and accessories suited to players at every level and style.
Guitar Tuners
Reliable tuning hardware for acoustic, electric and bass guitars, with options for upgrades, replacements and classic re...
1 topic
Music Accessories
Essential music accessories for UK musicians: instrument cases, stands, cables, straps, tuners, metronomes, and instrume...
75 topics
Sheet Music & Learning
Your guide to sheet music, scores, music theory books, and graded exam resources for UK musicians — from beginner method...
54 topics
Stratocaster
Iconic double-cut electric guitars with versatile tones, comfortable contours and wide appeal across many genres.
21 topicsPopular topics
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Index- Guitars 1,525
- Pianos & Keyboards 491
- Drums & Percussion 278
- Orchestral Strings 76
- Wind & Woodwind 97
- Brass Instruments 70
- Folk & World Instruments 108
- Studio Recording 484
- Music Software & DAWs 250
- DJ & Electronic Production 199
- Live Sound & PA 143
- Music Accessories 165
- Sheet Music & Learning 63
- Music Genres 285
- Music News & Industry 246
- Hi-Fi & Home Audio 64
- Artists & Bands 39