A Musician’s Journey through Songs, Stories & Life
I’m a guitarist, singer-songwriter, and travel writer with over 30 years of experience across performance, production, and storytelling.
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Guitar lessons, gear reviews, songwriting tips, and behind-the-scenes music stories.
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Lessons, tone, gear reviews, playing insight
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Creative process, writing, recording
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Travel, reflections, industry experience
Featured Articles
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Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60s Review: Worth it in 2026?
Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60s Review. Is this the best affordable Les Paul you can buy? Before we get into it, let’s look at the Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60s specs. The Les Paul™ Standard 60s models from Epiphone’s new Inspired by Gibson™ Collection recreate the sound of 1960s era Les Pauls. Featuring a classic…
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The Golden Age of the Video Game Arcade: 1987
Welcome back to 1987, with this year’s long list of classic arcade games being impossible to detail in a single article. Here are some of my favourites. 1987 was a turning point for me and my fascination with the video game arcade. It had been a place of comfort for a good chunk of my…
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BOSS Katana 50 Guitar Amplifier Review
The BOSS Katana 50 Guitar Amplifier IS the best guitar-related purchase I’ve ever made. Why? Let me explain. Is the BOSS Katana 50 loud enough to gig with? The question that everyone’s asking. Simple answer… ABSOLUTELY!. That’s on the 50W mode, clean channel, gain just less than half, volume the same, and master maxed. In…
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Goa : A Lesson In Life – Second Edition. Out NOW!
A BIG day! Originally realised back in 2017. My debut book, Goa : A Lesson in Life receives a long-overdue edit, professional cover, long-lost images, and an extra chapter, bringing my story to a close and up to date. So, what’s it all about? Back in August 2006, I visited Goa, India. A trip that…
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Latest Articles
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Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout: Electro-Harmonix East River Drive Review
Part 2 of a Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout series. Review of the Electro-Harmonix East River Drive guitar overdrive pedal. Bargain JRC4558 chip Ibanez Tubescreamer Clone? Moving on from my previous attempt at a standalone overdrive, the Joyo Ultimate Drive, this was it. Tubescreamer time! Never having owned a tubscreamer in the past, I plumped for…
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Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout : Joyo Ultimate Drive Review
First part of a Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout series. A review of the Joyo Ultimate Drive Guitar Overdrive / Distortion pedal. Ultimate OCD Clone ? The Joyo Ultimate Drive has been much vaunted as one of the best Fulltone OCD clones on the market (other’s include the Mooer Hustle Drive and Danelecto Coolcat Overdrive V1).…
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Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout: ProCo Rat 2 Review.
Part 5 of my Guitar Overdrive Pedal Shootout series. Review of the ProCo Rat 2. Meeting a Legend. I won’t bore you with the background of this shootout, for that please refer to the other parts in the series on this site. I’d now been through the clone phase, and so far in my quest…
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How To Tackle Barre Chords
How to Tackle Barre Chords By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer Barre chords are an absolute pain in the fingers! When you are learning how to play guitar, barre can seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, if you approach them correctly and practice them often they will become easier. Here are…
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How to Form a Band – Top 10 tips
My Top 10 tips on how to form a band, from first rehearsal to getting out there and gigging. How to Form a Band. Tip #1: Get together with Friends If you don’t all get along, there’ll be problems sooner or later. Trust me. I’ve been in various bands with the same drummer for years,…
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How to Avoid Feeling Lonely on a Solo Trip?
Traveling alone sounds glamorous in photos. Empty beaches, quiet cafés, nobody rushing you through a museum. But somewhere between day three and day five, many solo travelers hit a wall. The silence that felt peaceful suddenly feels heavy. Is Solo Travel Lonely? Sometimes, yes. A 2023 survey by Solo Traveler World found that nearly 40%…
