The roast desk

01FEATURED TAKES

The roasts worth printing.

The takes the editors pulled for the record — one rig, one voice, one clean hit each.

Lead take

Mary Spender
This setup begs the question: what song does this rig serve? The Taylor 814ce is a stunning guitar, but with the AER Compact 60 and that Keeley Compressor in play, you might end up overshadowing your natural tone. The Strymon Flint is a lovely pedal, but with a compressor fighting for dynamics, are you crafting a vibe or just wrestling with your own sound? Focus on the song — sometimes less is more, and simplicity often brings clarity.

Lead take

Mary Spender
This setup begs the question: what song does this rig serve? The Taylor 814ce is a stunning guitar, but with the AER Compact 60 and that Keeley Compressor in play, you might end up overshadowing your natural tone. The Strymon Flint is a lovely pedal, but with a compressor fighting for dynamics, are you crafting a vibe or just wrestling with your own sound? Focus on the song — sometimes less is more, and simplicity often brings clarity.
This setup begs the question: what song does this rig serve? The Taylor 814ce is a stunning guitar, but with the AER Compact 60 and that Keeley Compressor in play, you might end up overshadowing your natural tone. The Strymon Flint is a lovely pedal, but with a compressor fighting for dynamics, are you crafting a vibe or just wrestling with your own sound? Focus on the song — sometimes less is more, and simplicity often brings clarity.