Daryl Robertson
I'm a Senior Deals Writer at MusicRadar, and I'm responsible for writing and maintaining buyer's guides on the site - but that's not all I do. As part of my role, I also scour the internet for the best deals I can find on gear and get hands-on with the products for reviews. My gear reviews have been published in prominent publications, including Total Guitar and Future Music magazine, as well as Guitar World.com. I've also had the privilege of interviewing everyone from Slash to Yungblud, as well as members of Sum 41, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, Feeder, Fever 333 and many more.
I have a massive passion for anything that makes a sound, particularly guitars, pianos, and recording equipment. In a previous life, I worked in music retail, giving advice on all aspects of music creation and selling everything from digital pianos to electric guitars, entire PA systems, and ukuleles. I'm also a fully qualified sound engineer who holds a first-class Bachelor's degree in Creative Sound Production from the University of Abertay and I have plenty of experience working in various venues around Scotland.
Latest articles by Daryl Robertson

“With warm mids, compressed and focussed lows and a militant top-end, this guitar makes short work of classic rock riffage”: Gibson Theodore Standard
By Daryl Robertson published
They say you should never judge a book by its cover and that's certainly true of Gibson's newest creation

Slash talks true blues, his love for the pedal steel and valuable advice for new players
By Daryl Robertson published
Switching out his fabled Les Paul for an ES-335 and his Marshall for Magnatone, Slash goes all in on the blues for Orgy Of The Damned – and lifts the lid on the gear that powered the album

How we test beginner keyboards
By Daryl Robertson published
We get our hands on a lot of beginner-friendly keyboards for review – here’s our testing process

Slash tells us about his experiences learning to play pedal steel for the last two years
By Rob Laing published
The Guns N' Roses legend tells us about his new hard-earned musical skills

Guitar Center's epic Memorial Day sale offers unbeatable deals, including $200 off a Gibson Les Paul Standard!
By Daryl Robertson published
Treat yourself this Memorial Day, and get hundreds of dollars off an array of guitars, basses, amps, effects and more

"The Gen 3 feels like you are viewing the older iteration in 4K – there's greater detail and nuance in the tone": Boss Katana 50 & 100 Gen 3
By Daryl Robertson published
Boss is sharpening the blade of their cutting-edge practice amps – but is it worth upgrading?

Best guitar audio interfaces 2025: Record killer guitar parts at home with our top picks
By Chris Bird last updated
The best audio interfaces for guitar from IK Multimedia, Focusrite, UAD and more

A parent's guide to buying a beginner keyboard: Take the stress out of keyboard shopping with our 5 essential tips
By Daryl Robertson published
Give your child the best possible start with our top tips for buying a beginner keyboard – plus keyboard recommendations

Get your Memorial Day savings in early with 30% off Player, Paranormal and Affinity models at Fender
By Daryl Robertson published
As well as guitars, the sale also covers pedals, accessories and Fender-branded clothing

Lee Downer from Lowlives picks his 3 essential pieces of gear
By Daryl Robertson published
From his love of grunge to valuable vintage guitar advice and selling Slash a guitar worth 13K, Downer talks gear, music and life in alt-rocks hottest new band

Best guitar straps 2025: boost comfort, support and security with these straps for electric, acoustic and bass
By Rob Laing last updated
Protect your guitar and complete your look with our pick of the best guitar straps for every budget and style

Unmissable deal alert! Chapman Standard and Pro guitars are half-price at Andertons for a limited time
By Daryl Robertson published
Featuring everything from the popular ML1 to tasty 7-strings and the beloved Ghost Fret, there's never been a better time to purchase a Chapman guitar

"I'm a fuzz junkie": Feeder's Grant Nicholas picks his essential pieces of gear
By Daryl Robertson published
Feeder's frontman shares why he loves writing on an acoustic guitar, the story of purchasing his first Fender Jazzmaster and loving a pedal so much he named a song after it

Best desktop amps 2025: a lightweight and portable practice solution for all guitarists
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Our pick of the finest small-scale amps from Positive Grid, Blackstar, Yamaha, Vox and Orange

Thomann's 70th birthday celebrations just got even bigger with the addition of super deals on PRS, Korg, Taylor, AKG, Bose and more
By Daryl Robertson published
With discounts applied to everything from guitars to amps, studio gear and keyboards there’s something for everyone in Thomann's birthday sale

Fancy a FREE Fender pedal? Well now is your chance with this epic 3 for 2 Hammertone stompbox offer
By Daryl Robertson published
You have your pick of overdrive, distortion, delay and flanger in this insane pedal offer from Fender

Best delay pedals 2025: add dimension to your tone with pedals from Boss, Strymon, Electro-Harmonix and more
By Amit Sharma last updated
Explore the best analogue and digital delay pedals for all budgets

"A high-performance Les Paul that is sure to satisfy even the most contemporary player": Gibson Les Paul Modern Figured review
By Daryl Robertson published
A flashy contemporary take on the classic LP formula – but is it style over substance?

"This contemporary Les Paul may look basic, but it more than delivers on playability and sound": Gibson Les Paul Modern Lite review
By Daryl Robertson published
A proper stripped-back LP with none of the Gibson charm taken away

"This guitar is stunning to look at, a joy to play and has the tone to boot": Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom review
By Daryl Robertson published
An impeccably styled guitar that might seem pricey for some, is certainly worth the money

The three epic keyboard deals you should consider in Thomann's colossal 70th anniversary sale
By Daryl Robertson published
With sizable discounts on big-name brands such as Akai, Yamaha, Korg and more, Thomann’s 70th anniversary sale is the place to go for keys players

"Not only does this tiny device allow us to beam iconic Boss tones directly into our ears, but the Stage Feel feature delivers an immersive practice experience like no other": Boss Katana:Go review
By Daryl Robertson published
The new Boss headphone amp looks to revolutionise the way you practice at home – but is it worth it?

“When somebody buys my signature Duesenberg in a store, they're buying exactly what I play on stage”: Dave Baksh of Sum 41 interview
By Daryl Robertson published
Dave Baksh lifts the lid on the gear used to record Sum 41’s last-ever album and details the benefits of a digital rig and recording remotely

"With effortless playability and the credentials to absolutely nail those iconic Peter Green, Gary Moore and Kirk Hammett tones": Epiphone Kirk Hammett "Greeny" 1959 Les Paul Standard review
By Daryl Robertson published
The world's most famous Les Paul finally gets the Epiphone treatment – but is it worth it?
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