Latest articles

Bass Guitar Direct Box / 13 Apr 2025 / Sophie Clarke

The Complete Guide to Bass Guitar Direct Box

A bass guitar direct box converts your amplifier's output into a balanced microphone-level signal, capturing your tone cleanly for mixing consoles and recording rigs.

Official Singles Chart Update / 13 Apr 2025 / Rachel Hughes

Official Singles Chart Update: What You Need to Know

A provisional midweek snapshot, not the final word. Here is exactly what the Official Singles Chart Update is, how it works, and how to read it properly.

5 String Banjo / 13 Apr 2025 / Joanne Hall

5 String Banjo: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Buying the right five-string banjo comes down to knowing your style first: resonator for bluegrass, open-back for clawhammer and old-time. Everything else follows from that.

Pedal Delay Behringer / 13 Apr 2025 / Hannah Roberts

Pedal Delay Behringer for Beginners: A Complete Guide

Delay pedals intimidate beginners, but Behringer delay pedals make it simple and affordable. Learn how to use them, understand each control, and create great sounds.

Pan Flute / 13 Apr 2025 / Thomas Walker

Pan Flute Explained: Features, Types and Tips

The pan flute is a simple yet profound instrument: tubes of graduated length bound together, each producing a single pitch. Across millennia and continents, regional traditions have shaped it into the...

Shamisen / 13 Apr 2025 / Joanne Hall

Shamisen for Beginners: A Complete Guide

You don't need to master a whole tradition on day one — just your first honest sound. Here's a gentle, step-by-step start on the shamisen.

Ibanez Bass Guitar / 13 Apr 2025 / Laura Mitchell

Ibanez Bass Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Is an Ibanez bass guitar right for you? Explore specs, price ranges, and how to avoid costly mistakes when buying one of Japan's most innovative bass brands.

Bongo Drumming / 12 Apr 2025 / Benjamin Wood

Everything You Need to Know About Bongo Drumming

From eastern Cuba to salsa clubs and bedroom studios, here is everything worth knowing about bongo drumming: history, anatomy, the martillo pattern and basic technique.

Horn Cor Anglais / 12 Apr 2025 / Lucy Edwards

Horn Cor Anglais: A Complete Buyer's Guide

A practical buyer's guide to horn cor anglais covering key mechanisms, wood quality, condition assessment, price tiers, and common mistakes made when purchasing.

Drum Throne / 12 Apr 2025 / Katie Anderson

Drum Throne Explained: Features, Types and Tips

A drum throne is engineering for drummers. Find out how seat shape, height adjustment and base construction affect your playing, and how to set yours up right.

Fender Stratocaster / 12 Apr 2025 / James Harrison

Fender Stratocaster: A Complete Buyer's Guide

Buying a Stratocaster means understanding the Player, American Professional, and Vintage tiers, choosing between HSS and SSS pickups, and deciding between new and second-hand. This guide covers every...

Cassette Player / 12 Apr 2025 / Oliver Thompson

Common Cassette Player Mistakes to Avoid

Buying unserviced machines, using the wrong tape type and skipping head cleaning are the errors that cause most cassette playback problems. Here is what to watch for.

Bass Direct Warwick / 12 Apr 2025 / James Harrison

Bass Direct Warwick for Beginners: A Complete Guide

Amy walks new players through choosing a first Bass Direct Warwick, one simple step at a time, with the jargon explained as it comes up.

Active PA Speaker / 12 Apr 2025 / James Harrison

Active Pa Speaker for Beginners: A Complete Guide

An active PA speaker is the most beginner-friendly way into live sound — because the complicated stuff is already built in. Here is everything you need to know to get started.

Keyboard M Audio / 12 Apr 2025 / Jennifer Hill

Common Keyboard M Audio Mistakes to Avoid

Most M-Audio keyboard mistakes are avoidable with a little knowledge upfront. Here are the most common errors — from buying the wrong size to getting setup wrong — and what to do instead.

Fender Jazz Bass / 12 Apr 2025 / Chloe Nelson

The Best Fender Jazz Bass for the Money

Every price bracket has an option worth taking seriously. Here's how the current range breaks down by tier, and where the value really sits.

Behringer Model D / 12 Apr 2025 / Elizabeth Carter

The Ultimate Guide to Behringer Model D

The Behringer Model D is a faithful, affordable reproduction of the legendary Moog Model D synthesizer, opening classic analog synthesis to all musicians.

Gibson Guitars / 12 Apr 2025 / Rebecca Turner

Gibson Guitars Explained: Features, Types and Tips

From the carved-top Les Paul to the round-shoulder J-45, here's what actually sets Gibson's designs apart, and how to make sense of a spec sheet.

Roland Samplers / 12 Apr 2025 / James Harrison

The Complete Guide to Roland Samplers

Roland samplers represent sophisticated tools for capturing and manipulating audio in music production. From portable SP-Series models beloved in hip-hop to advanced TR-drum machines, Roland's sampler...

Slide Grease / 12 Apr 2025 / William Scott

Grease Brake Caliper Slide Pins: A Complete Guide

Slide grease is essential for keeping your brass instrument slides moving smoothly and effortlessly. Discover what to look for, how to apply it correctly, and maintenance tips from experienced players...

4x12 Cabinet / 11 Apr 2025 / Rebecca Turner

Cabinet Marshall 4x12: A Complete Guide

A 4x12 cabinet is the professional standard for guitar amplification. Explore speaker choices, construction and tone characteristics to find your ideal match.

Drum Pad / 11 Apr 2025 / James Harrison

The Best Drum Pads for the Money

No invented benchmarks — just an honest look at what entry-level, mid-range and professional drum pads actually get you for the money.

Washburn Acoustic Guitar / 11 Apr 2025 / Charlotte Bennett

Washburn Acoustic Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide

From the Harvest series to the Woodcraft Custom range — this guide tells you what to look for when buying a Washburn acoustic and where to find the best deals in the UK.

Phono Stage / 11 Apr 2025 / James Harrison

Phono Stage: A Complete Buyer's Guide

The right choice depends primarily on your cartridge type and the quality of the rest of your system. Here is a structured guide to the buying decision.