France is no stranger to a good plectrier. With the irrepressibly crazy Riki Le Plectrier making all sorts of mad things and their history of forward-thinking, our Gallic cousins are well represented. Given their history of being at the vanguard of plectrological development, I was excited to receive a bit of contact from Jean over […]
It’s a cold day in Reppington Village as I gaze forlornly out of the window at the horizontal rain, and wonder why some things are fated to exist. I love how out-there the Plectroverse can be, and even now plectrums still arise that surprise me. That doesn’t mean that they’re successful – remarkable might be […]
A well-aimed spear is worth three.– Tad Williams It’s been some time since the Rep featured the work of Alexis Radeo. The sheer volume of companies, models and developments that have made their way into the office over the last few months have made covering everyone a bit difficult. As I received a number of […]
It is clear that the causal nexus is not a nexus at all.– Ludwig Wittgenstein The first company that I started collecting in earnest, Vinni Smith’s V Picks have been doing the good work since the 1980’s. Born of the acrylic used to make aquariums (where Vinni first saw it), V Picks offer an almost […]
“Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.”― Alan Watts Getting your own Dunlop signature model is no small thing. The current lineup of artists that Jim’s company have attributed sigs too are people like John Petrucci, Jeff Loomis, Matt Heafy, Tosin Abasi and Andy James, and while there’s been plenty […]
A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem. – Plato – The Republic The mechanics of guitar playing are myriad and complex. With every player having their own technique, style and preference, it’s inevitable that players will make in-roads into developing their own tools for the job. Like […]
The busy bee has no time for sorrow.– William Blake Like all creative endeavours, the Plectroverse has a cast. Characters crop up time and time again, and while there is certainly room for everyone, it’s wonderful when someone comes along and shakes up the script a little. Makers also take inspiration from each other – […]
Come on down and read this crucial review of the Hell Super Black 3.2mm!
This calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence. – Ben Elton I get to handle some pretty exotic stuff while I’m reviewing, and some picks come to me from very diverse sources. This particular review came as a result of having a conversation with everyone’s favourite shredding granny-cat-mother Mrs. Smith. One […]
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. – George Orwell Seemingly incapable of writing pieces that aren’t both technically crushing and melodically astute, Tosin Abasi has carved out a significant niche in the modern era of the guitar. More of a composer than just a shredder, and now with his own […]