Rob Laing
Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
Latest articles by Rob Laing

Why Norway's Indie Recordings chooses old-school collaboration to help guitar bands
By Rob Laing published
MD Erlend Gjerde explains the inspiring independent label's journey and the ways they empower their artists

How A-ha's Take On Me beat the odds against them to become one of the biggest songs of all time
By Rob Laing published
As A-ha's Take On Me passes 2 billion streams on Spotify, we look back with Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen on their debut album's remarkable story of persistence

The Ocean reveal how they use Logic Pro to control their Quad Cortex guitar tones and even lighting in their live rigs
By Rob Laing published
Video The post-metal band are progressive musically and in their approach to rigs – but there are practical reasons for it too

Why Fender's new Mustang Micro Plus headphone amp is the right update at the right time
By Rob Laing published
It's currently $30 more than the original Mustang Micro, and offers a significant step up

"Worth the extra money for the added features over the original": Fender Mustang Micro Plus Headphone Amp
By Rob Laing published
How do you improve on excellence? Fender has found some ways to do it here

Boss has now made its acclaimed dual delay pedal compact with the SDE-3
By Rob Laing published
The Eddie Van Halen favourite SDE-3000 can now fit on even more pedalboards

Why Mark Tremonti believes his 20th studio album recording raises the bar for his guitar tone
By Rob Laing published
A very special Dumble amp is involved

The Orange AD200B bass amp comes back redesigned, revamped and reimagined
By Rob Laing published
Geddy Lee and Glenn Hughes favourite gets a refresh, along with speaker cabs

Michael Schenker reveals how he hears his influence on Kirk Hammett's playing in Metallica
By Rob Laing published
"People who copy that particular style will sound a little undeveloped because my vibrato wasn’t right"

The 6 Oasis non-album tracks you need to hear (that aren't on The Masterplan)
By Rob Laing published
As Oasis's reunion seems imminent, a timely reminder that here's Noel better songwriter when it comes to b-sides

"There's more reverb options here than most of us will know what to do with, but there is something really attractive in that": Strymon BigSky MX Multi Reverb pedal
By Rob Laing published
How does Strymon improve on one of the greatest reverb pedals ever? It takes it to the MX

Noel Gallagher on how Oasis decided who would sing lead vocals
By Rob Laing published
"I'd like to think I was clever enough to say we should have two frontmen, but I wasn't – in hindsight it was great"

Can Fender's new FINNEAS signature models bring new musicians over to the Acoustasonic guitar cause?
By Rob Laing published
The hybrid model has been favoured by Billie Eilish's brother, co-writer and producer for some time, and he had some specific suggestions for this model

Steve Jones breaks down the Sex Pistols' seminal Never Mind The Bollocks album
By Rich Chamberlain published
"I played bass on most of Never Mind The Bollocks"

"A rarely heard side of Liam Gallagher": Oasis reveals 1992 demo of Sad Song
By Rob Laing published
The bonus track would eventually be sung by Noel Gallagher and the demo is part of the Definitely Maybe 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Does your acoustic guitar never sound properly in tune? This may solve it once and for all
By Rob Laing published
Intonation is about trusting a process on elimination with the factors that can affect the pitch of your instrument

Things got interesting with the guitars at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony
By Rob Laing published
Who was shredding behind that mask? Now we know

As Arctangent festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, it feels more important than ever
By Rob Laing published
An annual showcase of alternative, progressive heavy musical talent, the UK festival has captured hearts and minds

Luthier creates a unique 3D printed guitar that allows for "impossible geometry"
By Rob Laing published
Printing technology allows for some elements of guitar design that wouldn't be possible with CNC routing

Harley Benton just made its popular Extreme-84, Extreme-76, and Victory guitars available as kits
By Rob Laing published
Make them your own

"This acoustic is really making a show of its spec next to the $5,000 Gibson equivalent": Epiphone 1942 Banner J-45
By Rob Laing published
A sweet spot between Gibson spec and Epiphone accessibility?
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