Stuart Williams

3 days ago | al-monitor.com | Cecile Feuillatre |Stuart Williams

Alarm has intensified over the welfare of inmates after an Israeli strike on Evin prison in Tehran, one of Iran's most notorious penal complexes which haunts prisoners long after they are released. Rights groups say that Evin, which is believed to have the capacity for hundreds of inmates, is home to dozens of "political prisoners" innocent of any crime, including foreigners, and women who are kept in a separate wing.

1 month ago | musicradar.com | Stuart Williams

Following hot on the heels of 2024’s Player II series comes the Player II Modified line: a range of Player II guitars and basses that build on Fender’s ‘workhorse’ range to offer additional features when it comes to playability and sound. In the case of the Modified Active Precision Bass, that means an active preamp circuit, a PJ pickup configuration with the addition of a Fender Noiseless Jazz model in the bridge position, a top-loaded HiMass bridge, tapered-shaft tuners and a TUSQ nut.

2 months ago | musicradar.com | Stuart Williams

If you’ve ever been near a studio, looked at photos of a recording session, or simply heard tell of the audio magic that occurs inside the most expensive playgrounds on Earth, you’re probably aware of Sennheiser’s MD 421 dynamic microphone. It’s the large diaphragm dynamic mic that has excelled at capturing broadcast dialogue, guitar amps, and perhaps most notably, drums since it was first launched in the ’60s.

Mar 23, 2025 | musicradar.com | Stuart Williams

Every instrument has its ‘holy grails’, and as far as snare drums are concerned, there are many. But while so much of our industry looks towards the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s for its definitive sounds, there are, of course, plenty of standout products to emerge since then.

Mar 20, 2025 | musicradar.com | Stuart Williams

The first new design to come from the EVH stable since the passing of the great Eddie Van Halen, the SA-126 Special –– in keeping with the Van Halen problem-solving nous –– was born out of Wolfgang Van Halen’s quest for his own sound. Having been drawn towards Gibson ES-335s for his band, Mammoth WVH, Wolfgang’s brief led him to refine the sonics of a semi-hollow guitar for heavier styles, while maintaining the modern playability that EVH is known for.