Reviews


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    Amps
3 Monkeys Virgil Amp Review 
by Joe Charupakorn
Virgil is a 30-watt, two-channel, 6V6-powered amp based on the Hiwatt-meets-Marshall BW119 that 3 Monkeys designed for Whitford in 2006.

    Media Review
Album Review: Guided by Voices - "Let's Go Eat the Factory" 
by Rich Osweiler
With no softening around the edges, the 21-song Let’s Go Eat the Factory represents the true essence of Guided by Voices.

    Media Review
Album Review: Heartless Bastards - "Arrow" 
by Tessa Jeffers
The band's latest lineup showcases Wennerstrom’s hauntingly gruff voice dancing with dirty blues-rock riffs in a way that’s distinctive and starkly wholesome.

    Media Review
Album Review: moe. - "What Happened to the La Las" 
by Jason Shadrick
On their new album, What Happened to the La Las, the band balances the accessibility of sing-along choruses with fierce guitar playing from Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey.

    Media Review
Album Review: Radio Moscow - "The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz" 
by Shawn Hammond
If you’re a fan of late-’60s psych rock and incessantly grooving early-’70s metal, chances are you’ll dig it.

    Media Review
Album Review: Sean McGowan - "Sphere" 
by Andy Ellis
It takes a lot of brass to tackle the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk, and when the musician attempting this feat is a solo guitarist, well, that makes the challenge even more daunting.

    Media Review
Album Review: Van Halen - "A Different Kind of Truth"  web exclusive
by Shawn Hammond
A Different Kind of Truth—the band’s first full album with Roth in 28 years—is the type of truth that raises a lot of questions.

    Electrics
D. Allen Johnny Hiland JohnnyBlades Pickups Review 
by Jordan Wagner
The main goals of the JohnnyBlades are to deliver great single-coil tone, stay noiseless, and be versatile enough to cover a wide range of genres.

    Bass Gear
ESP LTD Vintage-204 Bass Review  web exclusive
by Jordan Wagner

    Bass Gear
Hagstrom Viking Bass Guitar Review 
by Steve Cook
Here we take a look at the semi-hollow Viking 4-string bass—a variation on the company’s 1960s Concord bass.

    Amps
Hartke Kilo and Hydrive 410 Amp Review 
by Jordan Wagner
Hartke's powerful new Kilo head features built-in compression, overdrive, muting, a slew of EQ controls, and multiple connection features.

    Electrics
Mario Guitars Serpentine 2 Electric Guitar Review 
by Charles Saufley
The sounds you can extract from the hyperlight, super-playable, and sweet-sounding guitar can range from beautifully familiar to revelatory—and just might change the way you see and hear the potential in shortscale, Fender-style solidbodies.

    Amps
Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five Amp Review 
by Jordan Wagner
Despite its tiny size, the Mini demonstrates why the Recto sound has endured through waves of musical trends and fads.

    Electrics
MJ Guitars GrooveMaster Electric Guitar Review 
by Dimitri Sideriadis
MJ’s newest creation is the Groovemaster, a P-90 equipped solidbody that melds the company’s distinctive, curvaceous designs with elements from vintage Fender and Gibson axes.

    Effects
Spaceman Aphelion Harmonic Overdrive Pedal Review  web exclusive
by Matthew Holliman

    Effects
Spaceman Gemini III Dual Fuzz Generator Pedal Review 
by Charles Saufley
This beautiful—and beautifully built—fuzz isn’t a clone of anything. But it is positively packed with fuzz voices generated by parallel germanium and silicon circuits that can be independently operated, blended, and tailored to create a technicolor circus of buzz, grind, fizz, fuzz, and crunch.

    Effects
TC Electronic PolyTune Mini Tuner Review  web exclusive
by Jordan Wagner
In addition to its super-small footprint, the pedal features the new version of the PolyTune software with Capo Tuning and a massively requested Drop-D mode.

    Amps
Two-Rock Exo-15 Amp Review 
by Jordan Wagner
With the new EXO-15, the company focused on capturing that accuracy and transparency in a small, studio-friendly unit.

    Effects
Visual Sound Dual Tap Delay Pedal Review 
by Joe Charupakorn
With the Dual Tap Delay, Visual Sound successfully integrates digital and analog technology and brings two delays together in one unit with a master tap tempo.

    Effects
Way Huge Red Llama Overdrive MkII Pedal Review  web exclusive
by Jordan Wagner
This new incarnation offers the same searing tones as the original, along with hefty amounts of volume boost.