Equipboard Authors & Music Gear Experts
Equipboard authors are trusted experts with hands-on experience using the gear they review. Every article is written by a musician or gear enthusiast who knows their stuff - no fluff, just real insights. We're also proud members of The National Association of Music Merchants, helping uphold high standards across the music industry.
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Michael Pierce
Michael R. Pierce is the co-founder of Equipboard and a lifelong musician with over 25 years of experience as a guitarist and gear enthusiast. He blends solid music theory chops (thanks to formal training in guitar, piano, and trumpet) with real-world experience, always exploring and experimenting across genres like rock, blues, and hip-hop. Michael launched Equipboard in 2013 after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, leveraging his unique blend of musical passion, technological acumen, and community building. His current go-to rig features a Fender American Original ‘50s Telecaster, Analogman King of Tone, Strymon Flint, and a Fender ‘57 Custom Champ.
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Giulio Chiarenza
Giulio Chiarenza is the co-founder of Equipboard and a lifelong multi-instrumentalist with a deep passion for music gear. Born in Italy and raised in the U.S., he holds a Computer Science degree from The University of Texas at Austin and blends technical acumen with decades of hands-on experience across guitar, piano, drums, and electronic production. Early in his career, Giulio was signed to a San Francisco-based EDM label, releasing both remixes and original tracks. These days, he helps steer Equipboard’s vision while personally testing and reviewing gear. He's never too far from his go-to guitar: a vintage 1978 Fender Telecaster Custom.
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Paul Kinman
Paul is a session guitar player who is also a two time BCCMA award winner and a final ballot 'Guitar Player of the Year' Nominee, and has played many large festivals, clubs, theatres, and arenas across the country, done many Radio/TV performances, and opened for artists such as, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Randy Houser, Sam Hunt, High Valley, and many more. He is also endorsed by Prestige Guitars and Mission Engineering.
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Mason Hoberg
Mason is a freelance music gear writer that contributes to Equipboard, Reverb, TuneCore, Music Aficionado, and more. He plays the guitar and mandolin and resides in Wyoming.
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Nik Farr
Nik bought his first guitar at age 16, and has performed as a vocalist and rhythm guitarist in various bands. He also plays bass, keyboards, and programs drum machines and synths. Nik's latest project is the band DIVVISIONS, a blend of modern electronic sensibilities with the atmosphere and songwriting of classic alternative.
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James Marchione
James Marchione is a multi-instrumentalist and engineer with numerous music and film credits throughout the early 2000s. Following the break-up of his own band, Under Your Bed, James left the entertainment industry and will never look back but he continues to test and review new equipment, design gear for himself and select clients as well as compose his own music and occasionally mix records for others.
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Thomas Holtz
Thomas resides in Southern Connecticut. He is a graduate of Boston College with a B.S. in Neuroscience and a double minor in Finance and Philosophy. At BC, Thomas was a DJ and hosted his own two-hour show, The Holtz Effect, for WZBC Newton, curating song sets, spotlighting underground talent and interviewing Grammy-nominated artists. Additionally, he was a member of the Electronic State of Mind DJ/production club, moving from Treasurer to Vice President and finally serving as President. As a vocalist, Thomas sang as a baritone with the BC bOp! Jazz Ensemble and has also performed solos at The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, SC and Birdland in NYC. Thomas has written for various media outlets as a freelance contributor. In his free time, he enjoys volunteering and is an advocate for Alzheimer's research and for serving patients and families facing a pediatric health crisis. Thomas’ hobbies include running, hiking, guitar and rare bird sightings. He is always up for a good meal and good conversation.
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Jovian Gautama
Jovian is a startup guy, casual blues guitar player, and newbie satire writer based in Taipei, Taiwan. His Spotify playlist consists of wildly diverse tunes from Okinawan folk, Indonesian pop rock, to Lil Dicky. His mom named him after Bon Jovi (true story).
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Aaron Hopkins
Aaron J Hopkins is a ghost producer, DJ, engineer and soon to be commercial studio owner. He holds a BSc in Music-Technology from the University of Kent and dons circa 15 years experience in and around the music industry (various roles).
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Fred Felgate
Frederick Felgate is a mastering engineer from Rowhedge, Essex, England. He has a love and appreciation for music’s technical side, combining his musical and creative skills, with his devotion to accurate and pristine engineering practices. Starting out as an electric guitarist, Fred quickly became comfortable with optimizing signal chains and manipulating effects to achieve the desired emotional response.
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Robert Redman
Rob Redman is a musician, 3d animator and writer, with a long career in TV, publishing. He is a multiinstrumentalist, writing music under the name The Oysterhouse Boys. When not engrossed in the latest 3D or music project he can be found in the woods with his dog.
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Kevin Daoust
Kevin Daoust is a guitarist, guitar educator and writer based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. When not tracking guitars for artists around the world, or writing music-related articles around the internet, he can be seen on stage with Accordion-Funk legends Hey, Wow, the acoustic duo Chanté et Kev, as well as a hired gun guitarist around Quebec and Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Kristian Kolar
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Juan Spinelli
Juan Spinelli is a multi-instrumentalist musician, but more of a guitarist than anything else. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he started playing at a very early age and learned various instruments such as flute, clarinet, percussion, didjeridoo, cavaquinho, bass and more. Today, he also works as a music producer and sound engineer, collaborating in several projects in his city and with artists from all over the world.
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Richard Blenkinsop
After spending a decade in music retail, I’m now a freelance writer for the likes of Guitar World, Reverb, MusicRadar, Guitar Player and more, specializing in electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and almost anything else you can make a tune with. When my head’s not buried in the best of modern and vintage gear, I run a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance, and I play bass in an alt-rock band.
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Tyler Connaghan
Tyler is a producer, composer, and mix engineer at Killingsworth Recording Company in Los Angeles and owner/operator of Tyco Sound, a full-service production company with clients from around the globe. He has produced numerous records in a wide range of genres and has had dozens of TV placements with companies such as Apple, Hulu, WW, Microsoft, ESPN, and more.
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S. Jino
S. Jino is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and music producer based in Kolkata, India, distinguished by his self-taught mastery and unique blend of technical acumen and musical performance. His extensive experience was forged through hands-on dedication, starting with the full restoration of a broken guitar. Jino's capabilities span keyboards, pedals, and advanced digital production, reflecting a comprehensive skill set developed independently. As a significant contributor to the music scene, Jino regularly performs with worship bands and college ensembles. He has also established himself as a reliable and authoritative professional in freelance mixing, mastering, and original music creation. Inspired by the innovative sounds of Brian May and David Gilmour, and influenced by Kolkata's vibrant metal community, Jino is committed to the intricate art of vintage gear restoration and the continuous exploration of music and technology fusion. His current professional setup, featuring a meticulously restored nameless guitar, a Fender Player Strat, and a Boss Katana 50.
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David Manson
Equipboard contributor. I like guitars, amps, and especially pedals, repairing and sometimes building them. Hearing Duane Allman made me want to pick up guitar, but I’m not too great with a slide. My current favorites would be Jimi, Danny Gatton, Peter Green, Magic Sam, Rory Gallagher, and Bill Frisell among many others. I especially like Telecasters and Vox amps and the Nobels ODR-1 overdrive. My username is a play on the first musician I ever remember hearing, The Boss. I am also a Bob Dylan impersonator.