Paul Riario - Guitar World Tech Editor: 25 Years of Teenaged Gear Glee
Malcolm X Abram
Paul Riario, the Tech Editor for Guitar World magazine, is well known among gear heads. For more than 25 years, Riario has written and made popular demo videos for Guitar World. For many gear lovers, Riario has the dream job, greeting each new workday with a pile of boxes from around the globe filled with all of the latest, coolest, brand-spanking-new gear for him to peruse and test drive at his leisure. Despite his lofty status in the gear world, Riario is still a working musician playing in the bands Super Trans Am and Radio Nashville. EQD asked Riario a few questions about the job, his personal gear, not becoming jaded, and having to come up with groovy new licks to play for every damn video he makes.
Another day, another mailroom full of cool-ass gear for review.
EQD: How did you become the Tech Editor for Guitar World magazine?
Paul Riario: I literally got the job in my underwear. Let me explain: I had a copy of GW and looked at the masthead and noticed that GW was based in NYC, which is near me. So, being home that morning (and in my underwear), I decided to give them a call despite me not expecting any positive result, and miraculously, the operator put me through to one of the guys there. After some initial awkwardness in him asking if I had seen the help wanted ad in The New York Times (I didn’t), and me not knowing the job they were hiring for (it was sales related), they told me just come in for an interview regardless. At the interview, I was grilled about my experience, and I remarked that I could identify any Fender guitar in their catalog. So, I was put to the test, and they were impressed that I knew each one and told me to start the following week (followed by telling me to lose the suit I wore at the interview!). However, I should note that I started as a sales production coordinator, and it wasn’t until my very dear friend Tom Beaujour, former colleague, and NYT best-selling author of the book, Nothin’ But A Good Time, suggested to our editor-in-chief that I be moved over to editorial as gear editor — something I know very well, and the rest as they say is history.
EQD: Many readers have a romanticized idea of your job and assume you just spend your day in an office surrounded by and playing with all the latest gear. Are their fantasies correct?
PR: Well, depending on what year you could have seen me and the many offices I’ve been in, a lot of that was very true. I had boxes and boxes of gear — like cardboard forts — near my desk, and I always had multiple guitars and amps next to me. I still do, in a way, but I’m working from home now since our office now is mostly a studio where we just shoot video. At home, I try to keep an electric, an acoustic, and a small amplifier in my workspace at all times for testing and quick reference, and most importantly, the piece of gear I’m currently reviewing next to me at all times. I do have that mountain of gear boxes, but I keep those in a separate place.
EQD: Can you talk a bit about your process when reviewing a product? Let's say an exciting new Flying JagStangPaulCasterJr. from BIGGUITAR comes into the office. Do you have a method for each product category (amps, guitars, pedals, etc.)? Do you just play 'em and see what catches your eyes and ears?
PR: I can tell you this: how I always approach reviewing gear or regarding something new has always been relying on this criteria:
1) Does it make my musical or gigging life easier?
2) Is it something I've never seen before, or is it a makeover?
3) If it's not for me, who is it for, and where does it fit in?
4) Of course, does it sound and play great, and is it aesthetically pleasing?
...but most importantly, and I can't stress this last one enough:
5) Would my former teenage self totally freak the "F" out over this and endlessly imagine all the possibilities I could do with it if I had this back then?
That last criterion is the most important of all. A reminder to never forget about being young: it’s the point in your life where you're most forgiving, most creative, and most receptive to the cultural milieu — in other words, you figure out how to use information and, in this case, musical innovation to work for you rather quickly. And it's always fascinating to watch how young people become creative with it all. I believe a lot of reviewers forget this point because they are searching — much like artists — for things that will line up with their current setup.
EQD: What's the best part of being the Tech Editor?
PR: Obviously, being the first to witness and receive the latest guitar and gear innovations or technology, and sometimes getting asked for my input or opinion on something being created. It’s always exciting and humbling to be a part of that. But in all honesty, it’s more of the lifelong friends around the world and the country that I’ve made being in this business — a truly unique and talented bunch of people that I’m honored to call friends.
EQD: What's the least best part of being the Tech Editor?
PR: Well, like I tell many people, it’s still a job regardless, right? I mean, yes, I love what I do — it’s a dream job — but like any job, you have your good days and bad days, and sometimes you can get burned out. I try to do many other things to take my mind away from it so that I always have a fresh perspective and something interesting to say. You know, I use the analogy that everyone expects you to write a hit song like “Hotel California” or “Stairway to Heaven” every time you play something on camera, and you know what? That’s impossible. Even the artists themselves can’t live up to that standard; even they have those albums or songs that aren’t as great as their hits. And a lot of people expect that from me. And I tell them, listen, if I wanted to be an artist, I would have done so, then you can hold me to that standard, but I’m just a gear reviewer. And I’m going to be honest with you when it comes to gear, and also, I’m going to let you see I’m not perfect as well. I can’t play it all, but I’m good enough to get around so that you get a clear idea of the gear you’re seeing and hearing and whether it’s for you or not.
EQD: Are you a natural-born gear-obsessive collector, or is it just a necessary part of the gig? When did you first develop an interest in gear beyond playing guitar?
PR: I wouldn’t say I am a gear obsessive, but that I am more “gear curious” (that sounds awful). But yes, I always had a fascination with how gear works, and what would I need to sound like that artist, or how to get “that sound?” That always piqued my interest and set me on a path of what I do today. I absolutely read every guitar and music magazine from cover to cover, studied concert photos and album covers, asked around, hung around local music stores, and just plain watched other musicians and found out what they used to get their sound. And I should add that being in bands nonstop from when I was 13 years old to currently (I’m one of the lucky few that still plays out) was and still is a huge learning experience. I’ve seen and owned it all and played it onstage. It’s how I developed an ear and knowledge of gear just because I literally got “in the trenches,” so to speak.
EQD: Do you believe being a musician helps you do your job better?
PR: Oh, 100%. If there’s anything you can say about me, I have absolutely taken gear I’ve reviewed out on the stage and on the road just to see whether it holds up compared to the “evergreen” gear that every musician uses that’s known to be tried-and-true. And also being able to recognize gear that stays home or stuff you can put some wear and tear on.
EQD: Do you ever have to balance the editorial side of the job with the advertising side of the magazine? Have you ever been censored or censored yourself, or even not reviewed a product because of a potential editorial/advertising conflict?
PR: Well, sure, that dynamic exists, and it can be a fine line, but the good news is I have never had to censor myself or been censored editorially. There have been times where I have had to put aside or push a review due to advertising conflicts, but eventually these things clear up. I can also say I have never reviewed a product that was poorly made; I feel there’s no point in giving something a bad review only to trash it. So, what I’ve done is send a few products back because they were just subpar. What I’m saying here, is that at this point in time, it’s nearly impossible to screw up gear if you’re a manufacturer or a designer. There is so much automation, information, and precision in making an instrument or pedal or “whatnot” that you literally have to have no idea what you’re doing in order to screw up. I mean, for example, did you not look at the schematics (all over the internet) to make your version of an overdrive pedal? Like, how could you screw that up?
Paul Riario with a few of his work tools.
EQD: You've owned and/or spent quality time playing with hundreds of pieces of gear. But what is your favorite piece(s) of gear in your personal collection, and what's so special about it/them?
PR: Oh yes, and I own it all. Lots. I’m embarrassed to admit that. After doing this for over 25+ years, you just end up accumulating stuff. But yes, I do have a lot of special instruments. It’s hard to pinpoint just one. I own several amazing Telecasters, a very early Fender Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster, a one-of-a-kind Gretsch Anniversary that I had custom made on a whim that’s amazing, along with a rare Gretsch combo amp that I adore. But my favorite gear I’ve been using has been Milkman Dairy Air head, a Matchless DC-30, Vox AC30 combo, and a combination of custom Telecasters and a Gibson Historic ‘59 Les Paul. I also have a Martin and a Taylor, which are my two favorite acoustics for entirely different reasons. There are others but it would take too long to tell the story on each piece of gear that has a certain sentimental value.
EQD: What advice would you offer to a young person interested in getting into the world of gear-writing and tech editing?
PR: Call up someone in the music industry in your underwear. But seriously, there’s a bit of luck involved (right place, right time) and there’s a bit of having the knowledge and confidence that hopefully, people will recognize in you so that you get a shot at doing this. I’d also say be a great communicator, be willing to work hard and go the distance, and I can guarantee you, you will be successful, no matter what you do. The funny thing about the music industry is it’s a lot like the mob — once you’re in, it’s hard to get out.
EQD: You started 25 years ago. What significant changes (good or bad) have you seen in the music industry and music gear industry in that time?
PR: In short, right now is the best time to be a musician. You want to be a 70s or 80s rocker? There’s the exact, almost period-correct gear tailor-made to do that. Metal shredder? Do I need to explain? It’s all out there and it’s so outstanding that your opportunity to sound and look authentic is boundless. Instruments are more precise and play better now. The other half of that is now having the means and autonomy to record your music from the comfort of your home or personal studio on just about any budget. The amount of sophistication in recording hardware and software available to musicians is staggeringly exceptional. I could go on, but you get what I’m saying. The only bad thing I’ve seen is that the pandemic has really made this industry challenging — both for insiders and for musicians who gig for a living. If anything, I genuinely miss seeing the people I’ve known for years because we all have been, more or less, shuttered indoors. But hope springs eternal, and I believe music is the one thing that brings us together despite our differences, and many of us can’t wait to experience it up close again. I also believe the next big wave of a musical revolution is percolating somewhere, and honestly, I look forward to witnessing that once it surfaces.
Malcolm X Abram is a recovering reporter and music writer and a proud 40 year guitar noodler. He lives, works and plays in the bucolic dreamland of Akron, Ohio in an old house with two dogs who don’t really like each other and way too many spiders.
