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Ray's Guitar Shop | Pro Guitar Gear Reviews

Behringer Digital Delay DD600 Review

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When writing working on this Behringer Digital Delay DD600 review, I was initially skeptical about the kind of quality I could expect from the Behringer pedal. After all, this company – to be honest – has made their mark by essentially copying companies like Mackie and Boss, and then offering cheaper equivalents. The Behringer DD600 is, obviously, modeled after a Boss DD-6 Digital Delay pedal.

But these issues aside, we have to ask ourselves how the Behringer DD600 sounds, and the sound is pretty darn amazing. I tested it with a Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster into a Fender Hot Rod III 1×12 combo. I also used a few overdrive and distortion pedals to test the noise level. In the end, I was very impressed with the quality of the sounds and the overall noise level. The casing itself is plastic, so I’d be slightly concerned about its durability over the long haul, but to their credit the plastic casing does seem very durable.

For the price, the Behringer Digital Delay DD600 is a good deal on a quality digital delay pedal.

Vintage Guitar Picks – A Buyer’s Guide

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I don’t know why, but guitar players – more so than other musicians – are fascinated by vintage gear. We’ve got magazines devotes specifically to vintage guitars, amps, and even effects. But have you ever thought much about vintage guitar picks?

It’s not super easy to find vintage guitar picks locally, because they’re generally not in demand as much as guitars, amps, and effects. Fortunately, it’s become pretty easy to buy vintage guitar picks on sites such as eBay. Just make sure that you’re buying from a reputable seller and that you’re not getting a reissue.

The cool thing about buying vintage guitar picks (such as Bakelite, Fender, and D’Addario) is that it allows you to get your hands on real vintage guitar gear that’s connected to the past, but you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg. You could get a 50 year old guitar pick for less than $20 if you know where to look. While it’s not as sexy as buying a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, it also won’t cost you $250,000.

Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face Review

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Although I love the sound of a good fuzz pedal, I’ve never been a huge fan of recent Dunlop Fuzz Face reissues. To me, they were just too harsh and didn’t contain the “magic” of the originals. One product that has changed my mind recently is the Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Fuzz Face. This handwired unit, housed in a stunning copper enclosure, offers a real creamy, smooth sound that works great with humbuckers, as you’d expect.

Opting for the real deal, Dunlop wisely adopted NOS Russian military germanium transistors, which helps explain the smooth overdrive sounds. The jacks and pots are all first rate, so this feels and sounds more like a custom shop fuzz face than a factory model. I tested the pedal through a reissue Marshall JCM45 and a PRS McCarty and was really impressed by the tones I got.

Reverend Gil Parris Review

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One of my favorite guitar makers these days is Reverend Guitars, founded by Joe Naylor. Reverend has made its niche by offering guitars with a cool vintage vibe yet with modern complements. Korean-made yet set up carefully in Reverend’s Detroit facility. One of the company’s most celebrated models is the Gil Parris signature.

Gil Parris – guitarist extraordinaire – partnered with Reverend to produce an instrument that could be used over a wide variety of genres, and the end-result is impressive. Outfitted with two Reverend Humbuckers and a middle Lace Sensor (Burgandy) the Gil Parris model is capable of an impressive array of sounds. This is a guitar that you could easily use for jazz, blues, rock, and country with no problems whatsoever. The neck is smooth and highly playable, and the new flame maple top is gorgeous. For around $1,000, it’s pretty hard to beat.

Best Budget Metronome

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Finding a quality metronome, much less the best budget metronome, can be a daunting task for the musician on a budget. It’s easy to find several low-cost metronomes these days (compared to, say, 20 years ago), but they’re not all created equal.

As a guitar teacher, I’ve been in the position of recommended inexpensive yet quality metronomes to students and/or their parents many times, and there’s one unit that always comes to the front of my mind – the Korg MA30.

The Korg MA-30 is reliable, inexpensive, portable, and easy to use. There’s not much more else to say, aside that you can get it for under $20.