How we test

Reviews and comparisons: two formats, two methods

We publish two formats, and they do not rest on the same work. Blurring the two would be lying to you, so every article states which it is, in a box at the top.

• Reviews cover a product we have had in our hands for at least four weeks. They alone carry scores out of 10 and a numbered verdict, because they alone rest on a measurement we actually made.

• Comparisons are, unless stated otherwise, documented round-ups: we cross-reference manufacturers’ spec sheets, user feedback published in large enough numbers to show a consensus, and our own reviews where they exist (they are then linked). We have not had all these products in hand together, so we do not score them out of 10: the recommendation comes through the awards (“Our pick”, “Best budget”), the comparison table and the weak points.

Our reviews: weeks of real-world use, not a spec sheet

Every product we review is used for at least four weeks, in the conditions it was designed for: at home at sensible volume, in rehearsal with a drummer, on stage where that makes sense, and recording. We put it up against several guitars and several styles, because a pedal that shines with a Stratocaster can disappoint with humbuckers.

We never publish a review on the strength of a shop try-out, a YouTube demo or a press release. If we have not had the product long enough to judge it, the article is not a review: it is a round-up, and it carries that label.

Five criteria, scored out of 10 (reviews only)

Every review ends with detailed scores, always the same ones:

• Sound: tonal quality and character, judged at its price point
• Build quality: materials, assembly, reliability over time
• Versatility: the range of styles and situations covered
• Ease of use: handling, ergonomics, documentation
• Value for money: what you get for your money

The overall score is the average of those five criteria. A 7/10 is a good score. A 9/10 is rare. We have never published an overall 10/10, and that is exactly as it should be.

These scores are reserved for products we have had in hand: a documented comparison carries none, neither on the page nor in the structured data sent to search engines.

Our independence

• A loaned product does not buy the verdict. When a manufacturer lends us a product, we say so in the review, and the product goes back with its weak points written down in black and white. No manufacturer reads our reviews before publication.

• No sponsored verdicts. We sell neither scores, nor verdicts, nor placement in a comparison. Ever.

• The method is written on every article. Hands-on review or documented round-up: the box at the top of the article tells you what this rests on, before the first paragraph.