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 Complete Guide to Strymon Timeline Guitar Pedal
The Strymon Timeline guitar pedal stands as an industry-leading multi-effects unit beloved by professional musicians and recording engineers. Its exceptional sound quality, intuitive interface, and ex...
Pad Midi for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Intimidated by pad MIDI? Don't be. This beginner's guide takes you from unboxing to creating your first beat, with practical encouragement and easy-to-follow steps for nervous first-timers.
Glockenspiel for Beginners: A Complete Guide
The glockenspiel is accessible to beginners from the first session. Here's what to buy, how to start and the order to learn in.
The Best Allen and Heath Sq5s for the Money
The SQ-5 is one product, but how you configure and equip it determines how well it performs. Here is what actually matters.
Pop Song Words for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Starting your journey into pop music doesn't require deep vocabulary knowledge. This guide helps beginners understand the pop song words, phrases, and themes they'll encounter.
Chapman Stick Explained: Features, Types and Tips
One player, two independent hands, and a bass line, chords and melody all at once — here's how the Chapman Stick actually works.
Analog Mixer: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying an analog mixer means getting the channel count, preamp quality, and aux bus configuration right for your specific use case. Here's the no-nonsense breakdown of every decision that matters.
First Electric Guitars for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Don't let fear or confusion stop you from starting guitar. This beginner's guide walks you through choosing your first electric guitar without breaking the bank or making costly mistakes.
Harley Benton Electric Guitar Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Harley Benton produces affordable electric guitars across most of the main styles — this guide explains the range, what the quality is like at the price and who they suit.
Adam Audio Studio Monitors for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A beginner's guide to Adam Audio monitors. Discover positioning, room acoustics, common mistakes, and how to get the most from your investment.
Roland Midi Keyboard: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Roland MIDI keyboards range from portable 25-key controllers to weighted 88-key models. Our guide covers models, connectivity and choosing the right keyboard for producers and performers.
Roland Electronic Drum Pads for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Interested in drumming but limited on space? Discover how Roland electronic drum pads offer silent practice, affordability, and genuine playability for beginners.
Drum Rug for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A beginner's guide to using a drum rug: why drum kits move on hard floors, how to set up and position the mat, use grid markings, and keep it in good condition.
Fender Electric Guitar Explained: Features, Types and Tips
An honest guide to Fender's core electric guitar models—Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Mustang—what makes each one different and how to choose.
Gibson Victory for Beginners: A Complete Guide
First-time Gibson Victory owner? This guide covers everything you need to know about setting it up, understanding the controls, choosing strings and looking after a vintage instrument.
The Complete Guide to Amplifier Cables
Amplifier cables are often overlooked, but choosing quality cables that maintain signal integrity ensures your audio system performs at its best, delivering clean, detailed sound.
The Ultimate Guide to Ring Modulator Guitar Pedal
A ring modulator pedal creates distinctive, metallic and otherworldly tones by combining your signal with an internally generated oscillator. Discover how this experimental effect works and why it rem...
Behringer Wing Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The Behringer Wing rethinks how a digital console organises itself. Here's what it is, how the family breaks down, and what to know before you dive in.
Humbuckers Bass: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Humbucker bass pickups deliver thick, warm tone and noise rejection. This guide helps you understand types, brands, and how to choose the right pickups.
Common Fender Stratocaster Mistakes to Avoid
Most Stratocaster players make the same avoidable mistakes around setup, tone control, and pickup selection. Fixing them makes a significant difference to sound and playability.
Tanglewood: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A plain-spoken guide to buying Tanglewood guitars: what to check, which spec actually matters, and how to match a range to your budget.
Mic Guitar Amp: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a microphone to mic your guitar amp matters more than you think. This guide explains which microphone types work, how positioning affects tone, and how to make the right choice.
Guitar And Ukulele Stand: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A good stand protects your instrument and keeps it accessible. This guide covers specs to check, price tiers, and what makes a stand worth buying.
Charvel Guitars: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Charvel guitars cover a lot of ground. Here's how to actually narrow one down, from body shape right through to bridge and pickup choice.
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
