Common Mistakes

Guiro / 24 Jun 2026 / Katie Anderson

Common Guiro Mistakes to Avoid

Most guiro problems are small habits, not a lack of talent. Here are the ones I see most often at soundcheck, and how to fix each in minutes.

Steinberg / 24 Jun 2026 / Sophie Clarke

Common Steinberg Mistakes to Avoid

Most Steinberg mistakes aren't about the software — they're habits. Here are the nine I see most often, and how to fix each one.

Sire Bass Guitar / 21 Jun 2026 / Rebecca Turner

Common Sire Bass Guitar Mistakes to Avoid

The Sire range has consistent patterns of frustration for buyers and new owners. Knowing what they are in advance saves time, money and a lot of unnecessary confusion.

Jhs Pedal / 18 Jun 2026 / Charlotte Bennett

Common Jhs Pedal Mistakes to Avoid

Most JHS pedal problems people blame on 'a bad unit' are actually about how it's bought, chained or understood. Here's what to watch for.

Guitar Stand / 16 Jun 2026 / James Harrison

Common Guitar Stand Mistakes to Avoid

Guitar stands are simple — but players still manage to damage instruments, tip guitars over, and create problems that were entirely avoidable. Here are the most common mistakes and how to sidestep the...

Guitar Picks / 15 Jun 2026 / James Harrison

Common Guitar Picks Mistakes to Avoid

Guitar pick mistakes are genuinely common, genuinely fixable, and genuinely affecting how people play without them realising it. Here are the errors that come up most often.

500 Series Rack / 15 Jun 2026 / Daniel Cooper

Common 500 Series Rack Mistakes to Avoid

Most problems in 500 series setups trace back to a handful of common errors. Here are the ones to know about and the specific steps that resolve each one immediately.

Erhu / 11 Jun 2026 / Laura Mitchell

Common Erhu Mistakes to Avoid

Most erhu trouble isn't a lack of talent, it's a handful of small habits working against the instrument. Here are the ones that come up most often.

Phaser Pedal / 8 Jun 2026 / Benjamin Wood

Common Phaser Pedal Mistakes to Avoid

Most phaser pedal problems come down to settings dialled in without context and placement that was never thought through. Here are the specific errors to watch out for and how to fix them.

Washburn Guitars / 7 Jun 2026 / Charlotte Bennett

Common Washburn Guitars Mistakes to Avoid

A great backstory has led more than a few buyers astray. Here are the mistakes I see most often, and the honest fix for each.

E Bow / 6 Jun 2026 / Hannah Roberts

Common E Bow Mistakes to Avoid

Small, quiet mistakes rather than dramatic ones. Each is easily corrected once named.

Sibelius / 6 Jun 2026 / Sophie Clarke

Common Sibelius Mistakes to Avoid

Most Sibelius headaches trace back to a handful of workflow habits — here's how to spot and fix them before they cost you an evening.

Guitar Pink / 6 Jun 2026 / Rebecca Turner

Common Guitar Pink Mistakes to Avoid

It's easy to fall for a shade of pink and forget to check the guitar underneath. Here are the mistakes worth avoiding before you spend a penny.

Piano Bench / 2 Jun 2026 / Jennifer Hill

Common Piano Bench Mistakes to Avoid

Bare Knuckle Pickups / 1 Jun 2026 / Rebecca Turner

Common Bare Knuckle Pickups Mistakes to Avoid

Bare Knuckle pickups don't disappoint often — bad buying, fitting and setup decisions do. Here are the mistakes to dodge before you order.

Kontakt / 30 May 2026 / Daniel Cooper

Common Kontakt Mistakes to Avoid

I've made every one of these Kontakt mistakes myself, usually at 1am. Here are the ones I see most often, and the fixes that actually stick.

Active Monitor / 30 May 2026 / Daniel Cooper

Common Active Monitor Mistakes to Avoid

An active monitor is hard to get badly wrong at a basic level, but these habits quietly sabotage accuracy. Here's what to watch for.

Bookshelf Speakers / 28 May 2026 / Oliver Thompson

Common Bookshelf Speakers Mistakes to Avoid

Audio mistakes often come from overlooking the basics: placement, amplifier matching and honest room assessment. Avoid these pitfalls and your system will truly shine.

Chord Player / 26 May 2026 / Benjamin Wood

Common Chord Player Mistakes to Avoid

Most chord player frustration comes down to a handful of repeatable mistakes — here's how to sidestep every one of them.

UAD / 26 May 2026 / Daniel Cooper

Common Uad Mistakes to Avoid

The errors that trip up most UAD users, from Native versus DSP mix-ups to over-chaining vintage emulations, and how to dodge each one.

Fabfilter / 23 May 2026 / Daniel Cooper

Common Fabfilter Mistakes to Avoid

None of these are stupid mistakes — they're easy traps built into how genuinely capable this stuff is. Here's how to avoid them.

Electric Violin / 22 May 2026 / William Scott

Common Electric Violin Mistakes to Avoid

From mismatched strings to a flat battery mid-set: the recurring electric violin mistakes that are cheap to avoid and expensive to live with.

Integrated Amplifier / 21 May 2026 / Rebecca Turner

Common Integrated Amplifier Mistakes to Avoid

Most hi-fi amplifier mistakes come down to a few recurring errors — here is what to watch out for before and after you buy.

Banjo Strings / 14 May 2026 / Laura Mitchell

Common Banjo Strings Mistakes to Avoid

A beautiful banjo can be let down by tired or badly fitted strings. Here are the small mistakes almost every player makes at least once.