Jonathan Horsley
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
Latest articles by Jonathan Horsley

“Put it away and get a proper guitar!”: Andy Fairweather Low on playing with Eric Clapton
By Jonathan Horsley published
Low got the Teisco Spectrum V bug after seeing Ry Cooder with one. Eddie Van Halen loved them too. Clapton? Not so much...

Guild has holiday strumming covered with the Travel Spruce, a compact acoustic with a “big sound”
By Jonathan Horsley published
This compact but perfectly formed spruce-topped acoustic has an arched back to give it a voice that belies its modest dimensions

Sophie Lloyd is auctioning stage-played signature Kiesel in fundraiser for Pasadena animal charity
By Jonathan Horsley published
The bidding is at $7,000+ for the shreddable collectible that Lloyd played at her Whisky-A-Go-Go LA debut, with 100 per cent of the funds raised going to the animal and wildlife charity

Adrian Belew has surgery to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome following BEAT Tour
By Jonathan Horsley published
The former King Crimson guitarist was operated on by the surgeon responsible for the first successful human hand transplant in America

“A vibrant update”: By popular demand, Gibson gives the ES-335 its Custom Color refresh
By Jonathan Horsley published
Spearmint, Watermelon, Ocean Blue, Blood Moon Burst, the ES-335 and its AAA figured maple siblings have never looked so bright

“It is pretty ludicrously loud for its size”: Orange’s O Tone 40 is a solid-state powerhouse 1x12 combo for small gigs and practice and it is priced just $399 street
By Jonathan Horsley published
Those 40-watts of Class A/B power can drive that single 12" Voice Of The World speaker hard, with plenty of juice for gigging – and there's onboard tremolo and reverb to sweeten the deal

DigiTech’s HammerOn is a radical Whammy-related pitch-shifter that lets you “play the impossible”
By Jonathan Horsley published
This dual-footswitch pitch shifter has a four-octave range, seven modes including "Impossible," and can be used to create automatic trills, note sequences and much more

Fender unveils the $599 Acoustasonic Standard: is this the moment the hybrid truly went mainstream?
By Jonathan Horsley published
The Indonesian-made model breaks new ground for Fender affordability and is sure to put the Acoustasonic into the hands of more players than ever when it starts shipping in April

Harley Benton’s expands YouTube star Maxxxwell Carlisle’s signature line with three shred machines
By Jonathan Horsley published
2025 brings us three sweet new finish options for the MAX Fusion plus the option of a Floyd Rose 1000 Series vibrato or a hard-tail bridge

NAMM 2025: Harley Benton’s dual humbucker S-style is here – it’s not just Blink fans who’ll love it
By Jonathan Horsley published
First impressions? Blink-182 fans are going to love it but with two humbuckers, splittable coils and stainless steel frets it is a very different beast to Tom DeLonge’s single-pickup powerhouse

NAMM 2025: Gibson launches 1955 NAMM Commemorative Edition Les Paul in five custom-colours
By Jonathan Horsley published
Thanks to Joe Bonamassa, you'll all be familiar with Copper Iridescent, but how about a P-90 loaded Custom Shop LP in Samoa Beige, Nugget Gold, Viceroy Brown and Platinum?

NAMM 2025: “I’ve honestly never felt a smoother neck in my life”: Cory Wong feels the humbucker heat as the funk guitar virtuoso and Ernie Ball Music Man team up for StingRay II and StingRay II Deluxe
By Jonathan Horsley published
Wong is still a paid-up member of the Stratocaster club but says he has been on the hunt for humbucker-equipped guitar for years and this is the one

NAMM 2025: DigiTech and MonoNeon team up for Whammy Pedal with “Hypersonic” 3-octave pitch shifting
By Jonathan Horsley published
DigiTech is calling this its “boldest” Whammy design yet and the specs back this up. Is the world ready for a pinch harmonic and a three-octave pitch rise? It’d better be…

Dunlop salutes David Bowie’s maestro of the cocked wah, Mick Ronson, with signature Cry Baby
By Jonathan Horsley published
This super-cool Cry Baby is based on Ronson's original vintage Italian-made model

NAMM 2025: Bluegrass phenom Billy Strings teams up with Martin for a pair of signature acoustics
By Jonathan Horsley published
One is classically high-end Martin, the other retails at $899 – both are built for pickin' quick
![Fender Standard Series: Launched at NAMM 2025, Fender's new affordable lineup comprises [L-R] the Jazz Bass, HSS Stratocaster, Stratocaster, Telecaster and Precision Bass](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/omnmbYXPH73KEG8JJzihMf-320-80.jpg)
NAMM 2025: Strats and Teles at $599? Fender launches budget-friendly Standard series
By Jonathan Horsley published
Five classic models, sweet finishes like Candy Cola and O.G. Butterscotch Blonde... These are going to be popular

NAMM 2025: Sterling By Music Man unveils Tosin Abasi, Rabea Massaad’s Sabre and Fluff Bruce models
By Jonathan Horsley published
Three creatively spec'd classics from the Ernie Ball Music Man signature series remixed for a more affordable price point – and you can get the Kaizen with six or seven strings

NAMM 2025: Classic sounds, classy looks – meet Marshall's new overdrive pedals series
By Jonathan Horsley published
Get Plexi, JCM800, DSL drive and more at sensible volumes from a range of pedals that look like Marshall amps and sound like 'em, too

NAMM 2025: Orangewood unveils Seymour Duncan-equipped rubber-bridge Juniper II acoustics
By Jonathan Horsley published
For all your indie-folk needs, the new and improved Juniper II: now with a splittable Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup and a baritone option for low-end plunk

NAMM 2025: Joe Satriani teams up with IK Multimedia for Tonex One preloaded with 20 of his presets
By Jonathan Horsley published
Finished in chrome to match his Chrome Boy Ibanez signature guitar, this small but mighty Tonex One has the tones for Ice 9, Summer Song and more

NAMM 2025: Orange launches Baby series, solid-state amp heads that weigh 3kg but pack a 100W punch
By Jonathan Horsley published
Baby's got backline: small amps, heaps of volume, with all-analogue designs and gig-friendly features

NAMM 2025: AmpRx launches Brownie, a “voltage optimising” power supply for tube amps
By Jonathan Horsley published
Could this be your tube amp's secret weapon? AmpRxs latest allows you to control the voltage your tube amp is getting, promising consistent sound and enhancing its longevity

NAMM 2025: “An outstanding selection of chorus tones” – Nobels unveils $99 CHO-mini stereo chorus
By Jonathan Horsley published
It is a hard-working unit requiring a small piece of pedalboard real estate – and it's only $99

What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
My pick of the best online guitar courses will get your playing up to speed from the comfort of your own home, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
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