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

The expensive truth behind a free piano: 3 reasons they’re usually too good to be true
By Daryl Robertson published
We explore whether a free piano from classifieds ads - Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Craigslist et al - is really a great opportunity to bag a new instrument, or more hassle than it’s worth

Best trem systems 2025: From Floyd Rose to Bigsby, Duesenberg to Gotoh, here are the best tremolo systems we've ever used
By Daryl Robertson published
Tremolo, vibrato, vibrola, whammy bar or wigglestick; whatever you call it, here are the best options for all budgets and styles

Stand out from the crowd with Guitar Center's fresh set of exclusive Fender, Gibson, Taylor and Schecter guitars
By Daryl Robertson published
Your next showstopper is here - bag an exclusive Gibson Les Paul Classic, Fender Player Stratocaster, Taylor acoustic and so much more at Guitar Center

Ferndale GA3-CE acoustic guitar review
By Daryl Robertson published
Can this affordable, no-nonsense acoustic go toe to toe with the big guns?

Best DIY guitar pedal kits 2025: From fuzz to delay, this is our pick of the ultimate self-assembly pedals
By Daryl Robertson last updated
With these options from StewMac, Zvex and Amazon you have the ability to handcraft your dream guitar tone

Fender is making your spring a little brighter with 20% off select Fender acoustic guitars
By Daryl Robertson published
With a sale that includes the Malibu, Newporter and Redondo, this might be the best time to bag a new acoustic guitar

Thomann’s mega Easter sale includes up to 30% off Harley Benton, Taylor, Electro Harmonix, Sennheiser, AKAI and more
By Daryl Robertson published
Starting today, save big on everything from electric guitars to basses, keyboards to microphones at Thomann

Best Epiphone guitars 2025: Our budget-spanning picks of the greatest Epiphone guitars available right now
By Daryl Robertson published
From legendary archtops to spectacular single cuts, as well as a few rock-ready tone machines for good measure

Spring into savings with a colossal up to 60% off at PMT right now
By Daryl Robertson published
PMT's Spring Sale is music to our ears, offering massive discounts on all things guitar, drum and music production related

Best Gretsch guitars 2025: Nail that Gretsch sound at any price point
By Daryl Robertson published
From the iconic Falcon to the Country Gentleman and a slew of stellar-sounding affordable hollowbody options, here are our pick of the best Gretsch guitars

Roli Seaboard Rise 2
By Daryl Robertson published
Roli’s long-awaited sequel has finally arrived. We find out if it rises to the occasion

We set out to create a metal-friendly pedalboard for under $500/£450 - this is what happened
By Daryl Robertson published
Is it possible to explore the dark side of tone and unleash hell on a strict budget?

Best phaser pedals 2025: Harness the swirling sound of the phaser and take your riffs to a whole new sonic level
By Daryl Robertson published
Join the legions of famous players who enlisted the help of a phaser to create monstrous tones that have stood the test of time

Best compressor plugins 2025: Our pick of the greatest in-the-box compressors for the budding producer
By Daryl Robertson published
The software compressors you need if you want to impress

Positive Grid Spark Control footswitch
By Daryl Robertson published
Is the Spark footswitch a cutting-edge, must-have accessory or a pointless extra? Let’s find out

KHDK Gojira Drive pedal
By Daryl Robertson published
This behemoth of a pedal provides an atomic blast of tone that could level a city

Best budget guitar amps under $500/£500 in 2025: top cheap amps for smaller budgets
By Chris Corfield published
We showcase some of the best cheap tube and digital modelling guitar amp heads and combos, for all playing styles

NUX DM-7X electronic drum kit review
By Daryl Robertson published
NUX partners with Remo to bring you a powerhouse of a kit that won't break the bank

JBL EON ONE MK2 review
By Daryl Robertson published
Simple, powerful and lightweight - the JBL EON ONE MK2 is the full package

Best guitar cleaning kits and tools 2023: ensure your electric guitar, acoustic or bass is in tip-top condition
By Daryl Robertson published
Keep your instrument in shape with our pick of cleaners, tools and other guitar maintenance products

Casio CDP-S360 digital piano review
By Daryl Robertson published
Casio's feature-laden instrument bridges the gap between beginner digital piano and keyboard

'Tis the season for epic guitar bargains - bag yourself up to £450 off PRS SE guitars at Andertons
By Daryl Robertson published
Andertons are slashing up to £450 off PRS SE guitars just in time for Christmas - and yes, it includes the Silver Sky!

Don't miss out - Fender's 12 days of deals ends today!
By Daryl Robertson published
Fender's 12 Days of Deals sees epic discounts on a number popular guitars and accessories - without a partridge in sight
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