Readers should know that I’ve had a long journey with picks / plectrums over the years and have probably tried a couple of hundred different varieties by now across dozens of brands. None of my exploratory journeys are anywhere close to being finished though - and I’m always delighted when I can check out new and innovative variants - as is the case with these Honey Picks - which with their grip inlays are surely one of the most attractive varieties out there today.

I had glimpsed them ...

So this time around I’m including a number of the ones you said I left out of the last rundown - not all of those mind you as I’m looking to do 4 of these most likely. The first episode of these was more the classics obviously - and here we’re starting to move a little more left-field in places.

Significant to this selection are avant-garde designers Leonardo Lospennato and Ulrich Teuffel - both with 3 entries apiece. I will keep sprinkling in the more mainstay ones that you’re keen on - ...

OK - so a few things right off the bat - this listing is not for those who like simple and identical fret markers on all frets - Dots, Blocks, Trapezoids, Fins, Chevrons, Moons, Crosses and the like - this is where there is a flowing pattern or sequence - and where the key frets are properly marked out - but every marker is different and distinct.

Probably PRS is the most famous brand for this - and the PRS Birds are pretty much Classic and Ubiquitous in their own way - whether Solid, ...

I last did this exercise back in February of 2018 - where the core of the article was solid - while I only focused on 9 of the more popular brands. This time around I up the ante to 25 key electric guitar string brands - so there really should be something for everyone here!

Most 6 string electric guitars are supplied with standard 10 gauge (10-46) strings usually OEM’d for the guitar manufacturer by one of the main manufacturers or overseas subsidiaries. Some guitars are down-tuned by ...

One of my readers and indeed good friend - chanced upon my ’Choosing the Right Guitar Pick’ article from around 6 years ago - when I was just starting down the path of pick exploration. He enquired why I hadn’t done more articles on picks - when I actually did a series of 3 back then :

• Choosing the Right Guitar Pick - October 2016
• Zeroing in on the Pick of Destiny - December 2016
• The Hawk ToneBird 7 is my Pick of Destiny! - May 2017

And of course a Jim Dunlop RIP / recap from 2019

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I’ve been following Oriol and his El Garatge devices on Instagram for a while now, and have been aware of his smart Expression Knob in particular for a fair few months. Oriol is a desktop synth specialist and engineer who happens to own three of my favourite synths - the Teenage Engineering OP-1 (which is the only one I own), Korg Minilogue XD, and Access Virus. He’s one of those innovative musician engineers who is always looking to improve and innovate his environment - and each ...

As a follow-up to the enormously entertaining Maisy Millar Zander Circuitry voiceover Video (which I shall reference at the base of this article) the happy couple have teamed up again to deliver the Perfect First Effects Pedals introductory book for Children - a sort of toddler’s guide to stompboxes!

With a cast of 8 cute cartoon component characters, that you can see on the front cover, Alex & Maisy’s ’Wonderful Noise Awaits’ tackles 13 different key ...

I have mentioned several times on this blog - my surprise that PRS did not offer direct replacement locking tuners for its SE Line of guitars - which have been in production now since 2005. The current Core Line Phase II/III tuners have a much wider barrel/bore which could not be accommodated by the existing narrower tuner holes of the SE’s without significant alterations (drilling!).

Players like myself have had to buy locking tuners from different brands that fit the SE’s...

This is one of those moments that I feel that my celebrated Pedal-Chain has reached another milestone of ’peak performance’. There are a number of new releases here - and probably all the big ones I was expecting this year - bar the Chase Bliss Audio / Benson Amps Automatone MKII PreAmp - which is due in the Autumn now - and still pending final pricing, but will probably take up the top spot on Slot #14 eventually. Also - my long-awaited Beetronics Swarm Harmonizing PLL Style Fuzz is inbound to...