Editorial policy

Guitar Gear Reviews is a one-player review site focused on electric guitars, amps and pedals. The name of the game is simple: read the specs, listen to buyers, then write about it. This page explains how that happens.

How gear is chosen

Gear gets a review because students and readers ask about it, because it fills a gap in a price range, or because it is interesting enough to deserve a closer look. Best-seller lists are not the guide. Price tiers are covered on purpose, from first instruments to professional gear, so that the comparisons make sense.

How gear is rated

Every review scores six areas out of ten: tone, playability, build quality, versatility, hardware and value for money. The overall score is not an average. It weighs what the gear costs and who it is meant for, so a well-made $300 guitar can score higher than a $3,000 guitar that does not live up to its price.

Reviews also draw on the experience of buyers: gear that has been on the market for a while carries the feedback of hundreds or thousands of players, which rounds out one pair of ears. Those sections are clearly labeled as buyer feedback, separate from my own assessment.

No sponsored reviews

No manufacturer or store pays for a review, reads one before publication, or gets a say in a score.

Corrections

Specs change, prices move and mistakes happen. When an error is found, the review is corrected and the update date on the page changes. If you spot something wrong, use the contact page; corrections are welcome and handled quickly.

Who writes this

All reviews and guides are written by Cal Whitaker, a guitarist and guitar teacher in Asheville, North Carolina.