Are Guitar And Pedal Reviews Even Useful Anymore?

After five years of nearly weekly guitar and pedal reviews, I feel like I have a lot to say on this. Recently on this site I’ve tried to churn out fewer reviews, as it was getting a little crowded. But now and then, I also like to add context through articles like this where I actually discuss the WHY behind the onslaught of demos and reviews. So today, I thought we’d tackle why gear demos and reviews exist, and why they are still relevant.

There Are 2 Types Of Demos

Generally, I separate reviews and demos into two types; informative and entertaining. Informative content is more about teaching you about the features of a guitar or pedal. A lot of times you see examples of this from the content creators from Reverb or Sweetwater. Entertaining reviews are less about teaching you every single programmable feature, and more about showing the fun sounds or inspiring songs that were born from playing the fun, new gear. Of course, many content creators do both of these things, or do different formats depending on the product and context.

There’s really no right or wrong here, it’s not about saying that informative is better than entertaining, or vice versa. It’s really up to you to decide which type of content you prefer. While I generally outline all the relevant features in my articles, I do not do so in my videos. My videos are purely about showing some cool sounds or how the gear inspired me.

What Goes Into Demos And Reviews?

One thing that a lot of people tend to come after me for is the polish of my demos. I do not do a lot of editing, I do not mix or master the audio, I just record into my amp simulator and computer. If it sounds good, it is good. If you don’t think it sounds good on my end, it probably won’t sound that good on your end unless you’re a studio engineer or producer. Most of us are not that.

A lot of demo and review folk mix and master their video and audio content. I don’t think this is wrong, but it is just something you have to remember. That yes, Henning Pauly, who is one of my favorite YouTubers ever, is an amazing producer and studio god. He will be able to make anything sound great through his system. It’s not dishonest, it’s just the fact that if you recorded all your demos in an elite studio, it will sound good! So you just have to remember that you cannot recreate every sound you hear Henning, Emily Harris, or Ryan Burke generate. That’s not at all a slight on those awesome folks, but it is something that many folks don’t think about.

So Is Gear Content Still Relevant?

Yes, the simple is answer is that they are one of the only way for many folks to hear gear before they buy. With more online purchasing and less brick and mortar retail, demos and reviews help people make better choices. Are they better than trying gear with your own hands? Absolutely NOT. I will always encourage you guys to try gear as often as possible. Reviews, demos, and content should only be a part of your decision making. A relevant, and important part, but still only a part. No two reviews or demos will sound or read the same, and as long as you remember that, you’ll be better off when making purchasing decisions.