Recalling the Fender Japan Floyd Rose “Hot Rod” Strat

Yes, it's whammy time, as an early 1990s monster of rock pops its three-tone sunburst above the parapet for a heavily overdriven trip...

The 1990s Fender Model Code System Explained

Showing the model code 10-0909, a Fender USA '62 Vintage Reissue Stratocaster inspection tag from March 2nd 1990. How obsessive are y...

How Well Have 1980s Stratocasters Matured?

Well, we're here. This is it. This is the distant future that the 1980s guitar magazines talked about. The point at which the guitar...

Candy Apple Red: A History of Fender's Queen of Custom Colours

Is there a warmer finish anywhere on Earth? Candy Apple Red in all its glory on a Stratocaster, complete with the 1960s fashion statement o...

Ending The Confusion of Fender Japan's Vintage Strat Reissue Model/Year Designations

I'm sure you recognise them. But do you call these partners in crime the '60s and '50s Stratocaster reissues, or the '62 an...

Yamaha SG 2000 - Japan's First Megastar Guitar

“ Fabulously well made ”... “ Always a joy to play ”... “ A sound and sustain more like that from a Les Paul than almost any other Japanes...

The Story of the Vintage Reissue Guitar

Ohhhh yeahhhh! As Gibson themselves put it in 1970, the 1958-1960 sunburst Les Paul Standard design really was the “Daddy of 'em all”. ...

1996 Squier Deluxe Telecaster (Korea)

If ever you find yourself staring at a seemingly bog-standard Korean Squier Telecaster with a CN5 or CN6 serial number, you may not realis...

1987: A Landmark Year For Fender Guitars

TBX tone controls, Lace Sensors, bright yellow Strats, birth of Fender Korea, rebirth of Fender USA, death of Squier Japan, complete decimat...

Gary Moore: Why He Dumped Heavy Metal For Blues

With huge success, in 1989 the long-time rock guitarist and singer Gary Moore made a dramatic decision to dump heavy metal and pitch head ...

10 Reasons Why High Quality Audio Cassette Tapes Can Sound Muddy or Dull

In some cases, an audio cassette is expected to sound dull, muddy or woolly. Some tapes were manufactured to a very low budget, with an un...

Plywood Fender Squier vs Top Line Vintage Gibson

THE CONTENDERS A vintage Gibson ES-355 . A lavish, high-spend product, made in 1972, and sitting at the top end of Gibson’s range of thi...

The Seductress and The Clonewheel VXH - Free Tonewheel Organ VST Plugin Downloads

Planet Botch VST tonewheel/clonewheel emulators are a bit like buses. You wait eight years and then three come along at once. Yes, hot on ...

Mexican Fender / Squier Strats: The Mid 1990s Boom

The aesthetically-pleasing Fender Contemporary Stratocaster, introduced in 1994, sat at the epicentre of Mexico’s bid to capture the Japane...

Why PAID Software is More Likely Than Free Software to Treat You as “The Product”

A Photoshop installation CD, back at the dawn of the century when it was possible to own a copy, and the main distribution means was the hi...

Total Recall - The History of Total Accuracy Guitar Tuition

Even the promotional giveaway audio cassettes from Total Accuracy came with a high quality chrome tape formulation. This 1993 promo feature...

The Birth of Squier Affinity

Daphne Blue was one of three finishes available on the first Squier Affinity Teles to hit the UK market – the other two being Black, and wh...

Electric Guitar String History's Long Lost Secret to Wicked Tone

Spending too much money on your electric guitar(s)? Going through pickups like there’s no tomorrow and finding you still can’t nail the p...

Buried Reggae Treasures: The Torpedo Record Label

The Internet is heavily driven by populist themes. So if your interests have often strayed outside the mainstream, you may have struggled ...

When and Why Fender Commercialised the Guitar Relic

You don't have to browse far down Fender's Twitter timeline before you're met with a tweet proudly showing off some brand new ...
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