Back in black

IT TAKES A brave soul to take on Boss in the modeling-amp arms race, and an even braver one to do so explicitly. After all, the Japanese firm’s Katana range — now on its third iteration, following a m

Blackstar created this fire-breathing signature head for guitar icon Doug Aldrich. But does it rock our world?

Decked out in tooled western-style livery with a saddle bag’s worth of speaker and circuit upgrades, this anniversary edition stands strong in the lineage of the classic benchmark combo

NOW, LET’S BE clear — although this 15-watt combo is technically advertised as a practice amp, it can churn out some serious sonic damage and is capable of keeping up with metal drummers at rehearsal.

VERY FEW NAMES in our industry command as much respect as John Suhr’s. His creations are widely considered to be world-beating manifestations of design and craft colliding at the highest possible leve

Upholding the craft of the luthier, Patrick James Eggle’s latest build is another reason to look closer to home if you want the best