Andy Fraser 
You may have noticed that guitars have colored bits of plastic attached to their bodies. They tend to be below the strings and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These are pickguards. And they are designed to do as their name says: guard the guitar from picks. When you strum with a …
Guitar bridges are often talked about as being really important to how a guitar works and sounds. But what is a guitar bridge? You might be able to identify one but do you know exactly what it does? Or why? If not then you’re probably interested to know more about the bridge on a guitar. …
Most guitars come with volume and tone controls. But even experienced guitarists can be a bit confused by what the guitar controls do. You’ll have seen and probably used the knobs on your guitar. But are you absolutely sure you know how to use them properly. Do you fully understand what the tone controls do? …
Trying to find a small, capable practice amp that sounds good can be a real struggle. One that can sit on your desk but also might be good enough for jams or even small gigs. The Orange Micro Terror, a 20W hybrid head, aims to produce a big sound in a tiny package. But does …
Guitars have a habit of breaking, unfortunately. And it’s often the headstock that is the place where the break occurs. It may be because they’re the most fragile parts of the guitar or take the most impact when we inevitably drop them. Whatever it is headstocks get cracked, snapped and broken all the time. So …
The guitar headstock (or just “head”) is a vital part of the guitar. It’s also one of the most noticeable parts and gives different guitars their own unique character. Each different type of guitar and brand has an identifiable headstock and decal. And as the headstock houses the machine heads, tuning posts, string trees and …
It may not seem like that big of a deal but the heel of the guitar is very important. It supports the guitar, strengthens it and also plays a role in the tone. You may have paid little attention to the heel but it’s not just a random bit of wood. And all guitarists both …
Over the years I’ve been through many guitar amps. It’s been a long struggle to find ‘my sound’ and the amps I’m really happy with. The reason it’s taken so long and I’ve ended up buying and selling more guitar amplifiers than I care to remember is simple: I didn’t properly plan. I rushed in, …
The guitar is a truly amazing instrument. But the parts of a guitar can be confusing. There are more than you might have first thought. And if you’re new to the guitar it can difficult learning which each part is and what they do. Which can be a hindrance. You’ll hear lots of terms and …
The Fender TC 90 is a strange guitar. Fairly rare, not really like any other Fender and quite different sounding. I’ve owned one for 3 or 4 years now and so feel well placed to give a proper rundown and review of it. So if you’re interested in learning more about the TC 90 or …