Gear Reviews
How musicians can make money through their website
[Guest article courtesy of Melanie Kealey of Bandzoogle] Even in a time when new platforms and online technologies are exploding in popularity – Web3, TikTok, Yubo, and more – it has never been more critical for musicians to build and maintain their own website, their...
REVIEW: Coppersound Strategy Two-Channel Preamp and Overdrive V2
Back in March of 2021 we reviewed Coppersound’s Strategy pedal. The cool Strat-inspired design is as unique as the sound, and now Coppersound has updated it with an additional overdrive mode. Enter the Strategy V2. Again, the blend of Stratocaster and stompbox design...
The Difference Between TRUE BYPASS and BUFFERED BYPASS
It’s impossible to shop around for effects pedals without noticing claims of “true bypass” coming from a wide range of manufacturers. Like many things in the guitar effects world, there is some disagreement about the benefits of true bypass, with some players...
How To
Key Insurance Concepts for Musicians
When it comes to the new musical landscape we find ourselves in, insurance may not be top of mind for many artists out there. That said, we definitely think it’s smarter to be prepared for when touring and live gigs open up, than be caught flat-footed as other acts...
The world is in chaos. Should you quit music?
[Ed note - how's THAT for clickbait?] "Heaven Shall Burn - Guitars Matthias Voigt" by scilla kim is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Let’s just be brutally honest about the situation that musicians, songwriters, and others in the music industry face right now; it’s more...
Emma McGann on Maintaining Artistic Momentum During the Pandemic
Originally, I planned to be on an April 20th plane to Seattle to start the ‘Duality Tour,’ the biggest tour of my career to date - 21 dates across North America. No easy challenge for an artist with no label support. While planning the tour, I came up with a new...
Buying Guide
Solid State Logic (SSL) Guitarstrip Modeling Plug-in REVIEW
Guitarists who dive into recording are often overwhelmed; things get much more nuanced in every way, and finding the right combination and application of effects, EQ and dynamics can be difficult. SSL has taken a lot of the guesswork out of navigating multiple...
REVIEW: Orangewood Mason Mahogany Live Acoustic Guitar
Starting with a Grand auditorium shape, the Orangewood Mason Mahogany Live Acoustic Guitar features a mahogany top, laminated sapele mahogany for the sides and back, and a C-shaped mahogany neck; it’s not lacking on quality materials. Scalloped bracing in a X pattern...
REVIEW: Sterling By Music Man Sabre Electric Guitar
Typically, when a manufacturer offers up a lower-priced import instrument, it’s been streamlined for costs; components are often inexpensive, electronics are simpler, and design features found in higher end models are skipped over. Ernie Ball Music Man took their...
Industry News
Contribute to Performer’s Special Mobile Creators Issue!
Do you make music on-the-go? Do you have a favorite ring light for your TikToks? Here’s your opportunity to contribute to Performer’s upcoming special issue on mobile production and content creators. GET INVOLVED Wanna help? Awesome! We have a list of topics we'd like...
Why NOW is the Perfect Time to Get Insurance For Your Band
If the pandemic taught us anything as musicians and music-lovers, it’s how much we took for granted seeing live music (and performing live on-stage for those of us who do so). And during the past few years, if you were spending more time in the studio than on the...
WATCH: How to Obtain Insurance For Your Live Performances
Our friends at K&K Insurance know how to make shopping for insurance less intimidating for musicians and live performers of all kinds. If you're hitting the road this summer, or are getting booked for live events that require its entertainers to carry liability...