The Bench

Diagram comparing what your hands control versus what your guitar and amp control when it comes to tone

Is Tone Really in the Fingers? An Honest Answer...

"Tone is in the fingers" - yes, mostly, but not the way people mean it. From the bench: what your hands actually control, what your gear controls, and why chasing...

Is Tone Really in the Fingers? An Honest Answer...

"Tone is in the fingers" - yes, mostly, but not the way people mean it. From the bench: what your hands actually control, what your gear controls, and why chasing...

Diagram comparing traditional Gibson Les Paul nut width of 1.687 inches to the wider 1.795 inch nut of the 2015 redesign

The 2015 Gibson Les Paul: Should You Buy That "...

The 2015 Gibson Les Paul is notorious for its wider neck and G Force robot tuners. An honest bench take on what really changed, what's reversible, and whether that 'weird'...

The 2015 Gibson Les Paul: Should You Buy That "...

The 2015 Gibson Les Paul is notorious for its wider neck and G Force robot tuners. An honest bench take on what really changed, what's reversible, and whether that 'weird'...

HSS Stratocaster with a bridge humbucker and two single-coil pickups on a cherry burst flame maple body

HSS vs SSS Stratocaster: Best of Both Worlds, o...

An HSS Strat is not a downgrade and not a do-everything guitar. Here is the honest bench take on what HSS trades away versus a traditional SSS, where the compromises...

HSS vs SSS Stratocaster: Best of Both Worlds, o...

An HSS Strat is not a downgrade and not a do-everything guitar. Here is the honest bench take on what HSS trades away versus a traditional SSS, where the compromises...

Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s in Unburst with a figured maple top and trapezoid inlays, shown in its case with Gibson paperwork.

Gibson Les Paul Standard vs. Custom: What Are Y...

A used-guitar shop's honest take on the Gibson Les Paul Standard vs. Custom: what actually differs (ebony board, gold hardware, multi-ply binding, Custom Shop build), what doesn't (tone), and which...

Gibson Les Paul Standard vs. Custom: What Are Y...

A used-guitar shop's honest take on the Gibson Les Paul Standard vs. Custom: what actually differs (ebony board, gold hardware, multi-ply binding, Custom Shop build), what doesn't (tone), and which...

Gibson Les Paul Standard HP in Heritage Cherry Fade, a red-to-amber burst over flame maple

Does a Guitar's Color Actually Affect Its Resal...

On most used electrics, color changes how fast a guitar sells, not what it's worth — with a few real exceptions. An honest look at buyer pools, rare custom colors,...

Does a Guitar's Color Actually Affect Its Resal...

On most used electrics, color changes how fast a guitar sells, not what it's worth — with a few real exceptions. An honest look at buyer pools, rare custom colors,...

Close-up of the neck and bridge humbuckers on a Gibson Les Paul, the two pickups whose combined middle-position tone is affected by phase

What Is Out-of-Phase Wiring? The "Peter Green" ...

Out-of-phase is the thin, nasal "Greeny" middle-position sound. Here's what it actually is, how a flipped magnet or a swapped wire creates it, why it only affects the middle position,...

What Is Out-of-Phase Wiring? The "Peter Green" ...

Out-of-phase is the thin, nasal "Greeny" middle-position sound. Here's what it actually is, how a flipped magnet or a swapped wire creates it, why it only affects the middle position,...