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.
The Ultimate Guide to P90 Pickup
P90 pickups have been in production since 1946 and remain one of the most distinctive pickup types available. This guide explains their construction, tone and why they occupy a unique space between si...
Guitar Faith Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Faith is a British acoustic-guitar brand built on solid wood and distinctive body shapes. Here's the honest tour of how the range fits together.
The Ultimate Guide to Battery Powered Pa
A battery powered PA brings professional amplification anywhere. Explore options, runtime considerations, and how to choose the right portable sound system.
Common Nord Stage 3 Mistakes to Avoid
Most Nord Stage 3 problems aren't the instrument's fault — they're habits nobody questioned. Here are the mistakes I see most often, and how to fix them.
Volume Pedal for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A volume pedal gives you expressive foot control over your output level — this beginner's guide covers setup, the swell technique and how to integrate a tuner.
The Best Fender Acoustic Guitars for the Money
The best Fender acoustic guitar is the one you'll actually play. Here's which model suits your style—from learning to live performance.
The Best Hi Hat Cymbals for the Money
Great hi-hat cymbals don't have to cost a fortune — but you need to know where the genuine quality steps up and where the law of diminishing returns kicks in.
Volume Pedal Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A volume pedal puts dynamic control under your foot — this guide covers how they work, passive vs active designs, and what the secondary outputs are for.
Gibson Acoustic Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The honest buying guide: choose body size before model name, know your tonewoods, and the checklist for inspecting a used Gibson properly.
The Best Snare Drum Snares for the Money
A bedroom player, a gigging drummer and an orchestral percussionist all want different things — here's how value actually breaks down by tier.
Smoke Machine: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The honest version, no marketing copy. What genuinely matters when choosing a smoke machine, in the order it actually matters.
Gretsch Falcon Guitar for Beginners: A Complete Guide
It's not a strange first proper guitar. The honest, patient version of getting comfortable with your first big hollow-body.
The Complete Guide to Takamine G Series
Takamine G Series guitars deliver warm tone and solid construction at entry-level prices, ideal for learners seeking affordable quality.
How to Set Up and Use Corner Bass Traps
Setting up corner bass traps properly — right position, secure mounting, verified result — is straightforward when you know the steps. Here's the complete practical walkthrough.
The Complete Guide to Guitar Strings Cleaner
Maintaining clean guitar strings is fundamental to instrument care and sound quality. A guitar strings cleaner removes accumulated grime, extending string life and preserving the bright, responsive so...
Flanger Pedal: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing between analogue and digital designs and knowing which price point makes sense for your playing situation are the key decisions — this buyer's guide covers both clearly.
Rack Toms for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Learning how rack toms work — from tuning to positioning — is one of the most practical steps a new drummer can take towards getting a better sound out of any kit.
Common Schecter Guitars Mistakes to Avoid
The avoidable mistakes that trip up Schecter guitars buyers again and again, from a plain-spoken repair-room point of view.
Common Allen and Heath Mixer Mistakes to Avoid
None of these are about the gear being bad — they're all avoidable, and most cost people money or a bad night on stage for no good reason.
Cabinet Records: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Genuine vintage or modern retro — here's exactly what to check before you buy either kind of cabinet record player.
The Ultimate Guide to Marshall Studios
Marshall Studios bring the classic Plexi, JCM800 and JTM45 circuits into compact, switchable-wattage heads. Here's how they work, which model is which, and why they exist.
How to Set Up and Use Making a Bass Guitar
No theory here, just the actual order you build and set up a bass guitar in, so you don't end up fitting hardware to an unfinished body.
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 topics
