The Bench

Used Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top in heritage cherry sunburst on the bench at Aeonic Frets

Squier vs. Epiphone: Which Budget Brand Actuall...

A bench tech's honest, tier-by-tier take on Squier vs. Epiphone: build quality, the issues both share, and which budget brand to actually buy used.

Squier vs. Epiphone: Which Budget Brand Actuall...

A bench tech's honest, tier-by-tier take on Squier vs. Epiphone: build quality, the issues both share, and which budget brand to actually buy used.

Natural korina-finished Explorer showing the classic angular Gibson Explorer body shape

Should You Buy a Used Gibson Explorer?

An honest, bench-tech take on buying a used Gibson Explorer: how it really sounds, whether neck dive is a dealbreaker, korina vs mahogany, what to check before you buy, and...

Should You Buy a Used Gibson Explorer?

An honest, bench-tech take on buying a used Gibson Explorer: how it really sounds, whether neck dive is a dealbreaker, korina vs mahogany, what to check before you buy, and...

Black 2018 Gibson Firebird in Ebony with the classic reverse body shape and two mini-humbuckers

Should You Buy a Used Gibson Firebird? What to ...

A bench tech's honest take on buying a used Gibson Firebird — reverse vs. non-reverse, why its mini-humbuckers don't sound like a Les Paul Deluxe's, the truth about neck dive,...

Should You Buy a Used Gibson Firebird? What to ...

A bench tech's honest take on buying a used Gibson Firebird — reverse vs. non-reverse, why its mini-humbuckers don't sound like a Les Paul Deluxe's, the truth about neck dive,...

Diagram comparing 7.25, 9.5 and 12 inch guitar fretboard radius cross-sections showing rounder versus flatter boards

What Fretboard Radius Should You Get? 7.25" vs ...

Smaller number means a rounder board that's comfy for chords; larger means a flatter board that bends cleanly at low action. A plain-English guide to 7.25", 9.5", 10", 12" and...

What Fretboard Radius Should You Get? 7.25" vs ...

Smaller number means a rounder board that's comfy for chords; larger means a flatter board that bends cleanly at low action. A plain-English guide to 7.25", 9.5", 10", 12" and...

Orange thumbs-down icon on a dark background with the words Payout Delayed, over a line reading: sell over $2,000 and you now wait 3 to 6 business days after delivery.

Reverb's New Payout Policy: Sales Over $2,000 N...

Reverb's new payout policy holds earnings on items over $2,000 until 3-6 business days after delivery, instead of releasing when tracking shows the item in transit. What changed, how much...

Reverb's New Payout Policy: Sales Over $2,000 N...

Reverb's new payout policy holds earnings on items over $2,000 until 3-6 business days after delivery, instead of releasing when tracking shows the item in transit. What changed, how much...

Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s goldtop, a warm dark-voiced guitar, laid flat showing its humbuckers and controls

Why Does My Les Paul Sound Muddy? (And How to A...

Nine times out of ten a muddy Les Paul is a setup or amp problem, not a bad guitar. A bench walkthrough of the real fixes, cheapest first: neck pickup...

Why Does My Les Paul Sound Muddy? (And How to A...

Nine times out of ten a muddy Les Paul is a setup or amp problem, not a bad guitar. A bench walkthrough of the real fixes, cheapest first: neck pickup...