Buy New or Used?
Straight verdicts on whether the used-market premium (or discount) is actually worth it.
Klon Centaur & Clones: Which One Should You Actually Buy?
Quick verdict: Buy a clone. Pedals like the JRAD Archer, Wampler Tumnus, or EQD Palisades get you within a hair of the Centaur's sound for $100-$200, brand new,…
Read guide →ProCo RAT: Buy New or Used?
Quick verdict: Buy new. A current RAT 2 runs $70-90 and gets you 90% of what people love about the RAT. The "vintage chip is magic" argument that drives up used…
Read guide →Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer: Buy New or Used — and TS9 or TS808?
Quick verdict: Buy a new TS9 or TS808 reissue. Both current reissues run the same JRC4558D chip that's central to the pedal's reputation, at $100-115, versus $2…
Read guide →Financing Guide
How to pay for gear without getting burned by deferred interest.
Sweetwater vs. zZounds vs. Guitar Center vs. AMS: Which Financing Actually Saves You Money?
Quick verdict: If you want interest-free payments with no credit check, zZounds' Pay As You Play or AMS's EzPay are your best bets. If you want a store credit c…
Read guide →Deep Dives
Brand histories, category comparisons, and the stories behind the gear.
Gibson Guitar Body Styles: A History by Model
Gibson's catalog spans over a century, but a handful of body styles account for nearly everything the company (and its budget line, Epiphone) is known for today…
Read guide →Epiphone vs. Gibson: Every Body Style Compared
Quick verdict: For most players, an Epiphone "Inspired by Gibson" model is the smarter buy — the construction gap has narrowed significantly in recent years, an…
Read guide →Marshall vs. Fender vs. Vox vs. Peavey vs. Mesa/Boogie vs. Orange vs. Roland (and Gibson): Which Amp Fits How You Play?
Quick verdict: This isn't a "which is better" question — these brands solve genuinely different problems. Fender is for clean headroom and pedal-based rigs. Mar…
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