While New England has become a destination for many reasons, luthiers and pedal builders are wrongfully excluded from the long list of regional highlights. Since 2019 I have spent quite a bit of my free time writing, recording video, and thinking about guitar gear. Many of the highlights have included working with the big brandsContinue reading “Exploring New England’s Underappreciated Guitar Gear Builders, Artisans, and Brands: The New England Guitar Gear Database Project”
Author Archives: Matt Dunn
NOKILL Pedal Co. Loves Dogs And Glitchy Fuzz Pedals – And So Do I
The Borzoi Glitch Fuzz is a gnarly, nasty fuzz pedal with momentary glitch capabilities and synthy sounds. Over the years I’ve accumulated quite the collection of glitchy, synthy, weird noisemaking fuzz pedals. It’s just a very fun sub-genre of pedals that has always called to me. I love making a guitar sound broken, even ifContinue reading “NOKILL Pedal Co. Loves Dogs And Glitchy Fuzz Pedals – And So Do I”
Loud, Buzzy, Glitchy, Germanium Fuzz: Fuzz Imp Has Gone All Out With The Machina II Pedal
I don’t know where to begin with this one, but I also can’t stop playing it. 2025 has been a year to say the least. As I detailed recently, it’s been a less than stellar year in the guitar gear industry. Unfortunately, some of those bad vibes have even spilled into my demos and reviews,Continue reading “Loud, Buzzy, Glitchy, Germanium Fuzz: Fuzz Imp Has Gone All Out With The Machina II Pedal”
Buckle Up: There’s A Definite Decline Coming For The Guitar Gear Industry
Here’s a long essay on the tough year 2025 has been for guitar gear and why 2026 doesn’t look great either. 2025 has been nothing short of deflating for me as someone who covers guitar gear. More specifically, as someone who covers boutique gear and independent builders. They’re feeling the combined pinch of inflation (lessContinue reading “Buckle Up: There’s A Definite Decline Coming For The Guitar Gear Industry”
Drunk Beaver Pedals Recreates The Exar Metal Moon AKA The Polish Marshall Shredmaster
The 3rd installment in the XR Series from Drunk Beaver Pedals is a 3-band EQ equipped, high gain drive. A Copy Of A Copy (But In A Good Way) Finally, the last review of the XR Series pedals is here! And honestly, I may have inadvertently saved the best for last. The XR Series MM-1,Continue reading “Drunk Beaver Pedals Recreates The Exar Metal Moon AKA The Polish Marshall Shredmaster”
No King Of Tone? No Problem – The Fuzz Imp Amity Is All You Need
A dual drive pedal for under $200 with two different flavored amp-like overdrives? Sign me up. No Need To Wait Forever For A Dual Drive Obviously the demand for dual overdrive pedals has skyrocketed in the past decade or so. The vaunted King of Tone from Analogman is considered the cream of the crop, butContinue reading “No King Of Tone? No Problem – The Fuzz Imp Amity Is All You Need”
Interview: Getdown Services’ Josh Law hates pedals, loves cheap guitars, and used to be sick of the instrument entirely!
Image credit: Sion Waters I had the absolute privilege of sitting down for a little chat with Josh Law, one half of my favorite new band, Getdown Services. The UK duo are equal parts brilliant melody makers and absolute jokesters. A text from my buddy introduced me to their single “Crisps” and the rest wasContinue reading “Interview: Getdown Services’ Josh Law hates pedals, loves cheap guitars, and used to be sick of the instrument entirely!”
7 Years of Guitar and Pedal Reviews in Numbers and Graphs
I’ve been reviewing gear since 2019 and thought it would be fun to take a look at which gear brands, models, and designs I’ve covered. I have come a long way since I first got hired by Ultimate Guitar to write articles, despite having zero journalism experience under my belt. I really don’t know howContinue reading “7 Years of Guitar and Pedal Reviews in Numbers and Graphs”
Why Does Fender Keep Making New Telecasters Each Year?
At some point it seems futile, but then you pick up a new Tele and it’s easier to understand. I’ve reviewed and shot demos for a lot of guitars in the past 7 years, 141 to be exact, so I think I know a thing or two about how a guitar should play and feel.Continue reading “Why Does Fender Keep Making New Telecasters Each Year?”
Gibson (and Epiphone) Finally Did It: Epiphone 1960 Les Paul Special Doublecut Reissue Review
This type of a guitar has been out of the market for too long and Gibson has finally found their “middle class”. This isn’t going to be like a lot of my other guitar reviews, in fact it’s going to be more of a rant. But truth be told, I couldn’t be happier with theContinue reading “Gibson (and Epiphone) Finally Did It: Epiphone 1960 Les Paul Special Doublecut Reissue Review”
