Patrick Benson

Best “Guitar Music” of 2021

Strong arguments have been made over the landscape of modern day popular music that the guitar went extinct during the last epoch. However, if there has been one prevailing notion during uncertain times it’s that art and music can serve as medicine for the mind, body and soul, and for me that was “Guitar Music”Continue reading “Best “Guitar Music” of 2021″

A Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 1: Choosing Your Pedals

My first pedals were a DOD Grunge overdrive and a Dunlop Cry Baby. I was drawn to the aesthetic of those early DOD pedals because they told me exactly what I was getting myself into. The sound wasn’t great, and my Hendrix-inspired wah-wah did not mix well with the attitude of Kurt Cobain trapped insideContinue reading “A Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 1: Choosing Your Pedals”

Five Ways to Get to Know Your Multimeter

(Originally published on the Earthquaker Devices blog.) A digital multimeter is one of the most useful tools for anyone working on electronic instruments. They are used all across repair shops, on the road, and can always be reliable in dire situations. This is a must-have tool for anyone getting into electronics or at the veryContinue reading “Five Ways to Get to Know Your Multimeter”

A Basic Understanding & Guide to a Guitar Setup

Originally published on the Earthquaker Devices blog on June 1, 2020. You’re stuck at home with more time on your hands than you know what to do with, so you decide to pick up a guitar that you haven’t played in a while. You loved playing it over the years, but it’s lost its luster.Continue reading “A Basic Understanding & Guide to a Guitar Setup”

Pedalboard Build: Jesse Tobias

Back in April of 2019 I started working with Jesse Tobias (guitar player for Morrissey). In preparations for an upcoming tour he wanted to update his current board as it was a mess of mismatched power cables, gross old velcro, and busted pedals. I was eagerd to get my hands on this and get hisContinue reading “Pedalboard Build: Jesse Tobias”

Fuzz: Ibanez FZ7

Since this is the first in a small series of reviews that I will be doing I thought it would be a good idea to choose a pedal that is commonly overlooked and more importantly not a new “boutique” pedal. There is plenty of that already going on in my opinion. The Tone-Lok series (alsoContinue reading “Fuzz: Ibanez FZ7”

Pedalboard Build: Dan Wilson

On my bench a couple weeks back was a pedalboard build for Dan Wilson, guitarist for the band Dommengang; a stoner rock band based here in Los Angeles. This board had to be completed in just a few days as Dan was heading to Europe to begin a tour. First things first, we needed aContinue reading “Pedalboard Build: Dan Wilson”