"Hold on.... I have to fix the cat." That pretty much sums my life up.

The reason i watch your videos is your honesty and respect to viewers. Quality of your videos is outstanding. I rather wait for your review than watch official videos from brands praising every detail in order to boost sales. I wish you and your family all the best ❤

I don’t view you as a shill. I have watched hundreds of your videos and I like your humor and your delivery of information. I appreciate that you are providing a curation service for me. Out of the 10s of thousands of gear items, I can narrow down my options for gear to a few things and then go try them myself and pick what I like.

Henning, I have been watching yours and other guitar channels on KZfaq and let me tell you this: you are one of the few I would trust because over the years you have become, what one would call, an "informed expert". You are informed because you look out of the box and are honest about it. What is wrong with informing us even if it is a paid/sponsored video? As long as you are loud and clear about this. Who cares you get the gear for free. What is important to me is, that you give me information I can use for my (nonexistent) guitar career. You rock, man! THANK YOU!!!

Weird you still get those comments. I am here because you earned my trust and because i think the videos are both entertaining as informative. I like the productreviews, specially the ones that suprise you and inspire you. (HB SC 550 was a great example of that same wit MacMull)

Great video Henning! I am glad there are objective KZfaqrs like you, and not only magazines. You've put a great number of hours into the review of my products, each and every time. I can't think of many times that a magazine has put that much effort into a review of my pedals. Yes, it's happened, but not often. You provide fantastic service and value.

I have questions about a couple channels I sub to, but this ain't one of em. I appreciate this channel!

I may not agree with your opinions 100% of the time, but I always appreciate and respect your honesty. That is why this is one of my favorite guitar review channels on this website... and because of the animals, the wonderful shirts and the impeccable production quality, of course.

Thanks for ths, really appreciate your honesty. I was having a conversation about this to someone recently about the arts in general. Poeple don't realise how much work goes into this stuff, whether its KZfaq, gigging or whatever. Because it's often a fun thing to do, people see it as trivial and not a "proper job" which is ridiculous. Keep doing what you do.

What a great video! All you said is so true. In my case, I started playing guitar after a long break of about 15 years - just for me, as a hobby an for relaxing. And the most difficult part for me was to find good advises about the gear to buy! The times of visiting only in a shop and reading a magazine have passed, today you look always and everything on YT. And it is sooo crazy how many bad channels are "testing" for you as a interested customer. I was totally happy to find some honest people like you or Bernd Kiltz, for example. You guys are something like a 'gold standard' for me and my decisions in buying instruments or other gear. Please keep on having this huge portion of integrity - because: "Qualität setzt sich immer durch"! Greetings from Upper Franconia 🤘

liking before watching, because your rants are always enjoyable and well thought through

Thank you. The community really needs to have honest people being honest. Cheers

I appreciate your honesty always, your the best! Cheers from California!

There are 5 reasons I watch your videos. 1. I really value your honest opinion. You tell about every flaw and advantage of the gear and even tell if it's 'just your opinion' 2. You aren't scared to tell the disadvantages of the gear but at the same time you tell the circumstances why it's not working for you (or others) and that's might be relevant to folks (or not) 3. Your experience applies to things I do and so many other channels simply ignore such a wide range of applications and just ignore everyone else (which you don't (most of the times)) - you have a much broader possible target user in mind and are not afraid to tell if it's not applicable to one group! 4. I don't agree on every of your classification or judgement but yo ALWAYS got perfectly convincing arguments why you've got to your verdict/conclusion and you are able to even tell arguments for/against the stuff because you are able to see the use beyond your own judgement of use it for yourself and don't deny the niche it might be a great fit for 5. Glenn told me to watch it

I've been following you for probably the beginning, you are one of the few youtubers I trust 100%.

You do a good job! We appreciate your honesty and everything you do. I still remember the first video of yours that I watched was Digitech Trio. Way back lol

Just want to say thank you for the great vids you do, your insight into certain gear and the reviews you gave helped with plenty of my buying decisions, keep up the informative and extremely entertaining vids 🤟

This is the only place I go to see a review on a product because I know I can trust your opinion. I've seen you speak your honesty too many times on both good and bad products. And I have made many purchases based off your videos, but I don't think I've done that for any other channel. Keep doing what you do, as we need your honesty (and wacky humor).

A very small single opinion in a sea of very many: Henning, not once have I ever watched any of your videos and found myself thinking “bullshit”. In the grand scheme of things, I'm a nobody, and I can't even play guitar very well yet. But I am a consumer nonetheless and at some point my purchases are either profit, or lack thereof, losses for companies. What I do have is experience of rock god level corporate advertising and managerial battles and I can tell you every single one of those companies out there high or low, big or small needs someone to tell them openly, honestly, and quickly when something that they are trying to sell, is shit. It's almost impossible to place a value on that, but it is most certainly underestimated and undervalued. Good companies will see the power in being given a road map to success through experienced, honest reviewers and commentators. Thank you very much for being considerate enough to take the time to let people out here get to know you better and where you stand on issues such as these. It pretty much answers any questions someone might have had, and just confirms what some of us out here pretty much figured out for ourselves, and already knew.

Unorganized thoughts are my Jam!! As is honesty and integrity. I don’t understand how people (companies and consumers) can say Free… there is no free lunch. You create great honest content and I enjoy your humor. Its helped me to refine the gear I need vs the shiny new whatever i want. Metal rabbit at the end 🤘🏽🐇🤘🏽

Well said Hennig, I think people forget that this is a job (or side hustle) and it is about making a living. However, the channels that abuse their audience by not disclosing their payments honestly are hurting those of us who do I'm afraid and the audiences often think we're all just out there getting paid thousands of Euro for each video we make!

This level of honesty and integrity is so difficult to find on the internet today. I've followed you for a long time now. And I will stay because of what you've said today!

The main reason why I watch your channel is your honesty and respect for those who are watching. I like your approach, and I also value your opinion. If I want to buy a new piece of gear, your channel is the first one I'll check to see if you have a review on what I wanna get. Keep on doing what you best and keep in mind that we appreciate what you do. A big hello from Canada.

Hi Henning, I happened upon this video and wanted to say as one of your former guitar instructors at a particular college that I think you are doing a phenomenal job with your channel, your views your reviews and your support of animal rights! Robin Stone

IMHO you summarized it well in the first few minutes: ..."there's a lot of naivety about what we do" ... I like these behind the scenes look at channels like yours. I appreciate that there is a lot of work and thought that goes into each one. And I realize that there is a lot of uncertainty regarding whether anyone will actually watch it; let alone like it. Keep up the great work. I appreciate it and others do too.

Nicely stated. I watch your videos because of the in-depth nature of everything that you look at ... regardless of that piece's price. And I'm a guitar nerd, I think your skill level is not just high in one area, but extremely broad in type. I love the heavy metal stuff that G Fricker and Ola do... but this channel gives so much more. Just keep being straightfoward. You are fine.

Henning, I have been watching your videos since the first set of Joyo reviews were coming out. After years of watching and taking your opinion into consideration I have to say that I have not been disappointed by a purchase that was inspired by your content. Sometimes it is something I have never seen and other times I seek out your videos to get an honest idea of how it sounds, looks etc. Just a simple thank you for all that you do and anyone that thinks they need an explanation of your business model, just need to relax, play their damn guitars and have fun. Life cost's money, nothing wrong with making a living doing what you do. You nailed the rationale when you said it was a "mistrust" , seems like every industry regardless of if you are a banker, attorney, food service there is always that negativity that people have to express for whatever reason. Stay positive, keep up the great work those that appreciate what you do will stick with you.

Henning, please continue to do what you do best-play guitar and be honest about your opinions! Trust is the highest valued capital , not currency. You have gained the trust of viewers-including myself-and that is not easy to do. I enjoy your approach to music, guitar and gear, plus your personality and unabashed "nerdiness" at times is great! I have personally bought gear based upon your reviews and opinions (including your signature Harley Benton) and have not been disappointed-in fact I have been more pleased than expected. Keep up doing what you are doing, the way you are doing it and don't let the (few) people who complain or try to tear you down change your approach to creating content. Looking forward to more to come from you and your channel!

It's not about honesty but rather low standards and expectations, so that anything negative about a product is simply ignored. People who will tell you negative things about a product, if they exist, are quite rare nowadays.

Thank you Hennig. Love your content. Don’t ever change 🙂

Very well done. Everything needed to be said was said here in this video. I've heard a few bad jokes, maybe a few bad shirts, but NEVER have I felt you were dishonest or swayed by your allegiance to the company. Excellent explanation and I think you have integrity. Keep up the good work mate.

Henning, thank you for always keeping vendors honest. You and the channel are the gold standard for transparency and honesty so I thank you for that. I wish others would follow suit because people are sick of the advertisements of normal KZfaqrs.

Thanks for sharing your thougts, Henning. It always helps me to reflect on myself as a consumer (after all, this is not your first video on this topic - which shows how necessary they are). It makes me realize that I can never hand over all responsibility to others. And that I am dependent on trusting others. Whether I get advice from a salesperson in a store, ask for advice in a forum, read a magazine or ask an acquaintance or friend. Ultimately, I make the decision. Based on (and often against) the advice of others. And only experience can help me to assess the opinions of others. Maybe someone is not lying to me, but simply has a different idea of how something should sound, how something should be at a certain price. And experience is an important keyword here. Even if you don't always say it, your assessment of a product always includes a comparison with similar products. That's why I agree with you that it makes sense to follow KZfaqrs over a longer period of time in order to be able to classify their opinions. (It is also helpful to look at reviews of products that you own or, if possible, try them out yourself in a store. (Yes, that takes time, but judging other people's jobs in comment columns of YT takes time as well.) I am a consumer. I don't just consume guitar equipment, I also consume advertising and product presentations. And I can tell myself a thousand times that I make rational and informed decisions when buying, but in the end I usually make a decision based on emotion and then look for confirmation in different reviews. And the whole thing often takes on religious overtones. How dare someone talk badly about my favorite brand? How can someone comment positively on a manufacturer that I have had a bad experience with? (I mean, I'm German, my fellow countrymen deduct stars from hotel reviews because the weather was bad). I digress... So thanks again Henning, it's always necessary to make videos like this, but it's also always good to watch them. Ultimately, it is always a question of trust. Nothing brings absolute certainty. Ok, some people believe that if someone on YT doesn't leave a good word about a product, it's "finally an honest review", but, well, you can believe a lot of things. So let's be clear: there is honesty. And there is dishonesty. There are people who say what I want to hear and those whose opinions I don't want to hear. On KZfaq, in musician forums in stores, in the world. People work to earn their living. That doesn't make them better or worse. Not more untrustworthy or trustworthy. I am responsible for my purchase decision. No one else. And now: carry on! (P.S.: Give me a guitar, you have so many. P.P.S.: Please.)

An unorganised thoughts series? Count me in! Companies are paying for your time, knowledge and experience. After all, this is the real world isn't it? You deserve to be paid, just like everyone else. Another outstanding video, keep up the good work Henning.

I work for a guitar manufacturer, and one of my jobs is working with reviewers on KZfaq. You, my friend, are EXACTLY the kind of reviewer I want to work with; I want honest, CREDIBLE opinions. If you were in Canada, I'd be hitting you up all the time for stuff. Keep it up.

Hi Henning, thanks for your great videos and for telling your opinion, I watch your videos for exact this reason... and you are very entertaining as well! This is my opinion, someone might disagree (hardly to believe), but this still is me being honest! Same for what you do, you give your opinion! Also, in my job I get paid but still I complain to my boss when something is not optimal in my opinion and I try to provide ideas how to optimize. Same as for you, there is a line what/how to bitch about that when crossed, the company might not want me to be employed any longer. But on the other side from every one loving his job and/or at a certain level of payment I expect to not just do what told without reflecting but always trying to improve things. This is what you do and when hired as a consultant you would probably get paid way more for the same job. So, companies should be lucky for providing this service for such a low price! Thanks for all the work you put into this!

I really appreciate your channel because you are definitely knowledgeable and put together a high quality recording/mix of the gear you are reviewing. I appreciate your humor and personal take on the products you are talking about and never feel like you are just basically reading the spec list of the stuff. Many other channels put together videos of gear that are basically just straight up commercials. The worst is when a new piece of gear appears on a dozen or more channels in the span of a few days and they all surprisingly say almost the exact things about it. You have to be really naïve to think they just happened to use the same words to describe the product.

I appreciate the way you do it. You were the first one ever I heard saying "I got paid for it". I watched the rest of the video and subscribed. What I like the most is that you don't make me feel stupid. I mean it is obvious that running a channel like yours costs money and is your day job. But I can differentiate between marketing talk and a balanced opinion (or at least I think I can).

Hi Henning, your explanation of your priorities and the ultimate priority of your viewers is very well stated. I've reviewed scale modelling products for around 20 years and I totally share your feeling of responsibility when describing samples. While I will always try to find a positive angle if it exists out of fairness to the producer (often a small company), I won't ever sacrifice my honesty to viewers who may be tempted to buy the product. I've certainly come to value your opinion on the gear that you review - I've never been disappointed by a product that you've had a favourable opinion of, and my #1 guitar is the Tone Fox Elcaster that you featured 😎. Thanks for doing such a great job (see - I said "job" 🙂) - keep it up! All the best, Rowan 👍

I appreciate your honesty and that you are a man of principles. If there is a gear purchase I am debating and I see that you have reviewed it I definitely watch your video and see what you have to say about it. I have been both encouraged and discouraged from purchasing various items and that is why I subscribe to your channel. Thank you for saying the quiet parts of this out loud regarding how KZfaq gear reviews actually work.

As a full-time freelancing guitarist/composer here in NYC, I find your videos highly informative and trustworthy. In fact, after watching this video, I’m beginning to understand why some people wait for a review from a trusted channel to be released before purchasing a new piece of gear. Thank you for respecting your audience 🤙🏽 💯

I’m 61 years old and I live in Indiana. I started listening to KZfaq videos about the guitar products because I drive a semi truck for a living. I really don’t have time to research all this stuff that they sell out there. When I started out, I had a music man guitar amp bought me a Les Paul, and went for it. Fell into some line 6 and bought the ASX 12. Loved it started driving a truck got away from it. Decided to buy a helix and hated it for the longest time until I started watching your videos. I appreciate everything you do. I think most of the gear out todayis awesome. And I’m thankful for guys like you that I can watch and get information and I share and like your videos as much as I can. So for whatever it’s worth thank you!

I completely agree with everything you said, Henning. It baffles me that some people fail to understand these concepts. I'm so thankful for all the work you and other honest KZfaqrs do! Keep it up! ❤

Hi Henning 🙋🏽‍♀️! Thanks for the honest and critical insight into KZfaq-life. For me it‘s a crucial point, that product review are as honest as possible and thus i can get the best all-view information about guitar gear. That‘s the reason why your channel is so important and useful. Thank a lot for the great work you do! Nice greetings from nearby (Limburg).

You never lied on the advertising inside your videos and the links you have with some partners (Thomann, for example). You still stay honest on the test/review videos you make and that's why I love seeing you and listen to your comments and advices !!! Love from France !!

another amazing Video which falls outside of strictly music instruments! I also love and respect the way you will often mention that you are not keeping the product but have it for the purpose of the review. I know sometimes as someone who comes to Guitar youtubers for product reviews i often just assume you are keeping the product somehow knowing the product often goes back somehow makes me believe in the impartiality a bit more. I have really found it enjoyable to hear your thoughts!!!

I have been watching you for a long time and you are one of the few that I have seen actually call out companies and speak your mind about products. I feel you have always tried to be as honest as possible when you do gear reviews and I have seen you have great dialogs with certian companies which has helped in the end the companies going back and making a better product or at leaset fixing the issues you pointed out. You are one of the very few that I trust when it comes to reviews of guitars and gear. Glenn is another one that I love to watch as well. So as long as you keep doing things the way you do I will keep watching.

Thanks for the reviews, keep doing it! People can choose to watch or not. As for the negativity from some, people who like complaining about stuff will complain and perhaps they are just jealous. There must be loads more people like me skipping through reviews across the channels I watch and appreciate most of them but rarely leave a comment. But I appreciate all of them. Thank you, you do a great job and your style is different to others which is a good thing. Well done. 👏🏼

I really appreciate your honesty ! I feel that you have integrity. I trust your content. I think there is a grey area in that we, the consumers, don’t get to find out about the things that you don't review. If there are poor quality items don't there, how does the customer find out ? Honestly will keep a channel alive but only reviews on things that you like will erode the integrity !

I remember buying a Fulltone '70 fuzz pedal after watching a guy playing a Strat with it through a Ceriatone JTM45. No talking, just awesome playing that spoke for itself, it was NOT a review. But it was honest and REAL. Henning, even the making of this video speaks for itself. The real paid shills keep quiet - and keep lying to the people. Do not worry, people know you're different. I somehow noticed the honesty in your reviews right away, years ago, so I subscribed. I have nothing but respect for your work and the reviews you're doing, even if I'm not really interested in a particular piece of gear being demoed. You're always very detailed in doing it, often making personal remarks that mean a lot to someone not in the room with you to see and hear the piece of gear you talk about for themselves. The attention to detail, the honesty...Knowing that a great part of the entire industry is a scam wrapped up in great marketing, we are lucky to have you and people like you, to help us know the difference. I wish you all the best, piles of gear, AND piles of cash. You deserve it.

The more I watch you, the more I want to see! Top quality and honesty! KZfaq is lacking more content makers like you!

I used to be a KZfaqr and I deleted my channel. My real job pays well and I don't like contracting for reviews and having companies try to tell you what to say and do. I appreciate what you do and how you don't bend for people.

Henning, honestly. There is not a single guitar channel more professional than yours. Not even in the guitar world, but just on youtube in general. I mean... name one with better production value. I'll wait... Yeah, didn't think so. We appreciate you. And we are grateful. I learned about so many interesting things from you both about gear and about music theory. I've been following you for over 10 years now. I'd say you're the only one who does this 100% right. Just the video formula with the sounds in the mix, the product shots, the pros and cons and the RELEVANCE (my 2 cents is always my favorite video part)... seriously, there is nobody out on youtube who does it better. And on top of that, what's probably the most important YOU HAVE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE. That shows because you know what to point out about a product, you know what to look for and what might be relevant for people who are a bit more serious about guitars and making music. That's always been my general feel about your channel: even with all the undeniably German humor (which is great), HP42 is more serious. It's what I'm looking for. Other things to notice? You are actually capable of presenting your statements using proper language. You'd think that would be a given... and then you look at some other of these people who can barely put a sentence together. Such are the times, and Henning isn't even a native English speaker. So yeah. Pluses everywhere (like the Swiss flag where they also speak ze German). You were the only one talking about the possible moral grey area with the Kemper. Nobody else touched this for a long time, and that was what, like 2014? 2015? Bottom line is this, when I want to know if something is either right for me or if it's worth my money, I come to this channel. Integrity. People who think you lack integrity and are a "paid shill" (wtf does that even mean?) need to - like you said - watch your videos. That chinese digital bullshit non-guitar is a perfect example. Anywho. We love you dude. And we forgive you that you suck at playing modern metal.

Henning, I've been a long-time subscriber, and I always appreciate your candid views on the music world. I know that when you show enthusiasm for gear, it's because you truly like it, and not how much you were paid for the review. Thank you for your open honesty!

Hallo Henning, ich sehe Deine Videos seit Jahren und mein Fazit ist: Du machst einen guten Job! Mach Dir keinen Kopf darüber, wenn mal jemand etwas negatives schreibt. Es ist wie bei Amazon: Wenn alles passt, dann schreibt man nichts. Beim einem Problem will sich der Mensch abreagieren. Darum ist der Anteil der negativen Kommentare immer viel zu hoch. Also: Mache bitte weiter so. Ich schaue immer wieder gerne vorbei.

The reason I watch your videos is that you are charismatic, funny and a joy to listen to. Honesty and straight talk are a big part of that. You do not underestimate your viewers.

I've been watching gear channels for close to a decade and it's sad to see so many of your contemporaries who started 'pure' then devolved into pay for play paid advertisements. I understand it's an income stream and people gotta eat, but some have gone so far over the top that I've lost respect for them. When I need to know the real deal about a piece of gear I always turn to your channel. I trust you to provide the good with the bad or sometimes even the ridiculous with humor and solid information, and I like your dedication to animals

Man, I’ve been watching your vids for years. You’ve always been honest about your involvement and opinions. I normally watch many evals, not just yours, before I buy anything. But your opinion has my top 3 weight.

Great video!!! I agree with pretty much everything said and, it needed to be said. I'd like to start a guitar channel and might do so soon... you've been warned! 🤣 Even though I'll try to be as impartial as possible, I have favourite brands and I'll be the first to say may point of view is compromised by my experiences and ideals. I'll openly admit I'll buy something because X used it live, or Y used it on a record. In terms of compensation, even if a channel doesn't get any money or goods, there is still a psychological rewards system at work. Some people will do it for the attention, likes or a desire to be one of the 'faces' in the industry. Hell, there are some 'guitarists' out there that only seem to be involved because Onlyfans might be a step too far. Everybody's got a reason even if it's just for a dopamine hit. That said, all you have to do is just be aware of the psychological and contractual forces at work to get the most out KZfaq and other social platforms. You are your own filter in these instances. Learn to judge who is on the level and who isn't. It's a great life skill to have.

You're one of the best at what you are doing!!

You touched on the points needed for folks that say these things. It’s never free, the free gear myth is a misunderstanding from those who don’t do it. It’s never free as a video is a lot of work to film/edit/storyboard. It’s all work for making a video. Especially as a person with a job doing this in their off time. it’s hard to even get paid any money especially if you’re small channel. It can take years for channel to grow, and a lot out of pocket cost. I’m editing all the time, I don’t get out much and I still am trying to catch up on videos I have in queue. It’s so much work. I do love doing it and the folks I’ve made friends with along the way. Thanks Henning for trying to explain.

I always need a lot of help ... LOL ... I have always felt you are very knowledgeable and honest. You deserve what you get. I have maybe a handful of others I feel comfortable with, but I believe you are the best.

There will always be people talking shit about whatever they can. You can’t change it but you can change how to react to it. Though, your meticulous explanation of how you feel about this is probably exactly why you have such a large crowd listening to you. I’m one of them for over a decade now and all I can say is, thank you Henning.

I have disagreed with you many times but if I want an honest and "no shit" review, I always check to see if you have reviewed what I'm looking at.

The thing for me was always, as a normal viewer, that I barely see these bad comments. Learned pretty late that some of them get filtered out immedietaly only for you to republish them, bascially saying "that's ok." I never took you for one to try to sell me something I don't want. You made honest reviews about things I absolutey do not like. I am still watching for entertainment purposes aswell. And if there's a way for you to keep it that way, that'll be great. Full disclaimer: You actually, personally, sold me something I did want. 😀 So I am basically a shill now too, i guess? Whatever, keep on going. 🥳

You and your friends(we pretty much know who they are) are my go to sources when looking for gear. I have trusted your videos and they were a definite part of the decision process, while living in Canada and ordering guitars from Germany. I have not been disappointed and a large part of that was because I heard pros and cons for you and was able to make an educated decision in the end. Now I am sure you are a very nice person... we have never officially met, but I do think you are genuine in the way you present yourself, but being nice and working for free just does not make sense. Well not if you are looking at what you do as a job. I am sure there are some creators out there that are just starting out and are more than happy just getting their video out to the masses, however, you are 100% right to expect anyone to be able to sustain that is crazy. Never mind the cost of gear, what is your time worth, what value do you put on taking time away from family to create the video or review product. It is kind of crazy that people will walk into a music store, approach a sales guy who is decked out in Fender swag and ask his opinion on a Gibson SG and trust that he is being truthful. How do you know he isn't getting some kind of kickback to push Fender and is going to be completely honest about the SG? you don't, yet you take him at his word, because he works at the music store. Guess what he is getting paid for the hours he puts in. So, what is the difference between you and the guy in the store? well, if the guy in the store is conducting him self properly ad honestly, There isn't one Keep doing what you are doing, Henning. We need folks like you to keep the world informed, entertained and educated.

I think I said this not too long ago....but HONEST people like Henning and other youtubers are the bridge between brands and the consumer, these people ADD value to the product they're reviewing (good or bad), and that helps the consumer make informed purchasing decisions...why would people be mad at that? Now, it's on the consumer to decide who they're gonna trust/prefer when it comes to the information they're looking for...if you wanna see a demo because "they wouldn't take money " for a video, then watch the in-house demos, which btw, they're also being paid to made, because it's their job...it's their job to sell you the product. On the other hand, if you scroll down just a bit and enjoy some charismatic and honest people giving you different opinions on the same product, wouldn't that help you to get a wider insight on how this product actually is? Well that's a service and also a job, which needs to be compensated accordingly.

Henning, you (and Ryan from 60 Cycle Hum) are who I trust on gear reviews. Of course, I would check out other channels to listen for tones I look for, but you I would go to to hear not just the good, but the bad about the product without trashing the brand itself. Even when you're harsh in your reviews, it's in the most respectful manor that I wouldn't get elsewhere. I'm glad you have never changed in all these years on how you address any products you look at. Even if all the major brands hate you, you still have me as a viewer

I don't have anywhere near the same reach as you & hence I don't have the clout to ask for stuff (let alone payment) from companies. The way I work it is that I buy a guitar, do a bunch of videos with it, then sell it on. If I get my timing right when selling, and factor in the KZfaq revenue that the guitar has earned me, I usually turn a bit of a profit. Is this enough to live on? No, but I have other revenue streams - private tuition, publishing royalties and Patreon. These all add up to a wage that puts me on a par with any other skilled tradesman. All I'm saying is that this is what works for me. What you do works for you & you come across as an honest, impartial source of info. Keep on doing what you do - I've bought gear on the back of your reviews and not been disappointed.

EXCELLENT video Henning. It fits with my outlook on the world (taught me YEARS ago by my Dad) ... "there's no such thing as a free lunch". That's not a bad thing nor a good thing, it's just the way it is, understand it and live with it: get value and give value. Love your videos, ALWAYS entertaining and informative. I've even been known to watch them when I don't want information about the item. But when there's a new thing out, that I'm maybe interested in, yours is one of the channels that I have to check out for "what does Henning say?" Keep rocking.

Late to the show, but Guitar-Stuff-Related you are my go-to-chan on KZfaq. I bought stuff because of your opinion and I stepped back from buying stuff because of your tests. You are the man, Henning. Thanks for the work you do 👌

For me you are a person who should be used as a model for how to conduct a review, your honesty, your style, and your thoroughness have helped me so many times in making wise decisions about buying gear. Keep making more, you're awesome!

I understand everything you said in this video, but one thing you need to understand is that you are the exception, not the rule. Your reviews are the only ones on KZfaq that carry ANY weight for me. Keep doing what you do brother.

I have, for years now, trusted what you say. There is never any difficulty understanding your opinion. That's not that I always agree, but that actually doesn't matter. I think you're brave and putting yourself out there will always get idiots who don't understand and just was to diss everything. The comment about "why should you get paid if you're enjoying yourself" is something I've had about playing music. People think that jobbing Musicians somehow don't need to be rewarded fairly because "you're obviously enjoying yourself". I am always grateful that you spend the time that you do to show new gear and information. Thank you.

You made the commitment to put in the work and attain your level of reach. If your integrity is not clear to certain viewers, I don’t know what we can say to them. I almost always comment on the quality of your B-roll footage! That, shooting, editing… all work!! Investment!! A return should be expected. Thank you for riding the line.

I have been following you for a while and enjoy your videos. This video is so essential and straight to the point. Good for you, and keep doing what you do.

Henning, I understand why you made this video. I hope it cuts down on the negative traffic. Because you put your ethics to the fore, speak your mind, and deliver facts with your very informed opinions, I can depend on your reviews. So can my friends and colleagues. You, Glenn, Andy, and Hunter are the info vectors I seek for the daily/weekly news, with entertainment. First.

Good work HP, it was really good to hear your thoughts on the paid/shill side of things. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for the video mate. It's really interesting and helpful to hear your take on this kind of stuff. I'm still a fairly small channel but it's cool to know you've experienced some of the stuff I've seen (not doing demos if you think something's bad, dodgy promotion etc.) I do have a question though: I review gear that I buy because I want the gear for myself but is there a better way? I don't think I'd ever not share stuff I wanted to buy anyway but it's obviously not a sustainable way to do this. Making videos is incredibly fun but it's not easy. Thanks again man 🤘

Hello from England. For what it's worth - I watch your videos mostly for entertainment and occasionally for opinions on specific products. I'd be pissed-off if you weren't getting paid for what you do - and I've never once felt like you are ONLY trying to punt crap at me with no thought for me or my pocket. You are always entertaining and informative - you have a real knack for pointing out the genuinely important features and problems. A couple of times, I've already had a purchase in mind and have come to your channel first to get advice before making my decision - and you've not let me down. Production quality on your videos is way above most guitarist channels on youtube - professional without being creepily slick. And you come across as a good bloke - someone I'd happily talk to in the pub (my highest accolade).

Watching your videos for a long time, but of course not knowing you personally or anything, you seem like someone with a good moral compass and ethics in this business (and in general). That’s why I like watching this channel, I know I’m getting an expert and grounded opinion! Oh, and the animals of course :)

My dude, my friend, THE hardest WORKING man on YT. Love you 😘

This is the greatest KZfaq channel ever, the greatest respect for a man who sticks to his values, ensuring the viewer gets an unbiased and truthful review. Keep going as you have a legion of fans, plus you are a very funny dude!

Meeting Henning in person makes you appreciate him more. Ultra professional, very smart, but in a likable way. He'll always gets my thumbs up. I am glad I have been able to meet him several times. Guitar Summit later this year, again, maybe? Cheers!

I've enjoyed your channer for some time and have brought products based on your reviews. Never regretted a single one. Thank you for the entertainment as well. Some days I just want to get out of my head by dreaming about owning some gear or get educated on the use of the latest releases in music technology. It is sad how many KZfaq educated watchers become sooo opinionated sitting in their PJs in the middle of the night... I do not work in the entertainment industry; I am not a content creator; I am not a professional musician so I just collect music gear make a rackett for my own enjoyment an sanity and go back to watch my favorite channels for the production value and education that you provide. Thank you.

Your channel has always been the gold standard for integrity and honesty in the guitar gear YT world. There are tons of insanely awesome channels and big creators like you that are also honest and exhibit the same degree if integrity, but genuinely, you're THE guy that pops into my head when it comes to honesty and being up front and transparent from every angle. It's what keeps me watching at least.

I come back because I know you give a "warts and all" approach and I can hear what /may/ be great about a product and what might else I might need to keep in mind about it.

Henning, honesty is always the best policy. With so much business being conducted these days over the internet where you don't get to actually touch or see the product in person, KZfaq videos are awesome to be able to make what you feel is a good purchase decision. I've only bought a guitar or amp over the internet. I hold certain KZfaq channels in high regard because I feel they are honest and not just in it for the money. I enjoyed this video and all of your pets in them. Auf Weidersehen.

Keep doing what you do Mr Henning ; my dad and I (both guitarists and both called Gabriel) have bought several music products recommended by you as you hit the nail on the head more often than others do for us. In our eyes, you are one professional geezer! :)

I love your channel every since it pointed me to Harley Benton guitars and convinced me to buy one (I own two, so far). I rarely find videos that I'm really interested in, but I still watch them for a couple or reasons: number 1 - they're entertaining. They're shot great, the words are on point; number 2- I can still find useful tidbits of information, even if you don't care for the actual product. At least I get a sense of what a certain tone should sound like - how should a good overdrive sound, how various delay settings work etc. I think the "paid shill" hate thing exists because of something I call "perceived positivity" (could be a thing, i don't know). If a product is utter crap you just don't make the video, and as a consequence I don't remember a video of you saying "This product is garbage, don't waste your money on it". Various KZfaq reviewers that buy their own gear don't give a crap about their relationship with the companies and they can say "You know what, this is sh!t, I don't know why anybody would buy this" (heard recently about the Blackstar IDCore v4). Of course it's not a sustainable business model, so those channels don't run very high on numbers, thus (falsely) confirming that they are "the good channels", because they are not supported and paid by the companies. In short - people LOVE to hear reviewers trash products, because of the "what we love unites us, what we hate unites us even more" mentality.

You have integrity and have always pointed out the shortcomings of the manufacturer's products you review. You offer advice on what they can do to improve their instruments and gear. Also, you praise them when they offer something great. You have guts.

Your voice matters, and I have been checking your videos for years because you are the #1 source of honesty out there. Did I mention funny? Keep it up man, awesome content consistently!

Nice one Henning well said and explained, hopefully making so many guitar world snobs/know it alls actually understand what goes into making videos/reviews and what you possibly might get from it after dedicating time and everything else, before they skip on having already made a premature decision if it’s paid like any job is. They forget they’re getting in-depth, honest, more visually and sound detailed reviews/demos for free. Did you pay yourself with coffee beans to make this one mate. Probably have to be a cheap one not a high end bean.

Since I found your channel in 2020 I have bought 5 guitars because of your 100% honest and trustworthy videos. Everything you ever said about the guitars was 100% true. I trust you 100%. Thanks fo making trustworthy and valuable content🙏🎸

the reality is, all the products work, ( if the particular unit in question works as designed ) and it's just a matter of discrepancies .... I think a lot of times, the next move depends on what people already have; and how different products fit in ( in terms of feature set ) "is it going to do what I need it to do? or after incorporating it, will I again need something else." .... and most people are just going for the solve, or a re-tweak. sometimes that's a tube amp and pedal board, sometimes it's the Everything modeler, and sometimes i's a combination of hardware and software.....but whatever it is, they want to know as much as possible about it, before making the investment. ( and I think most end up on KZfaq for mulling over something that the PDF manuals indicates will do ) ... or they want a video, not a PDF manual ? and I think some just need something to take their minds of the wretched reality for awhile, ( youtube is a haven for life's off topic escapist ) but reality won't change, until we deal with it.

I feel you so much. I made my KZfaq channel first just to review plugins. Then it got traction, I got greedy and enjoyed the occasional "free" plugin. Then I got burnt out, because it is so frickin much work to push through and create content! Then I refocused to just do what I like. Now I am back in track and really am finding my style in this thing. But man, is it hard work. Hundreds of hours to hone your craft making videos, equipment bought specifically for the task, setups tested etc. - just to be called a shill? That's silly. Content creators like us try to offer value and transparency, and we do it way more honest then print magazines in read as a teenager even have done. There is a lot of entitlement thrown at content creators nowadays, which sucks big time.

I really appreciate you Henning , and find your attitude admirable. I have taken note of a few guitars you do not review and assume you have a bad opinion of them and that's fair. If however you haven't worked for a certain company for a while , maybe it's worth re- connecting as the guitars they made 4 years ago may now be a lot better. Anyways I think one of your videos prompted a certain Irish youtuber to keep a large shop in the UK honest about the amps they use in almost all their reviews , but weren't saying they had part ownership of the amp brand. The owner of the shop had to make a little video informing his audience of his stake in the amps. In all honesty though it was pretty obvious to me already as people who worked in said shop kept getting signature versions of these amps. I have to admit a few years ago I thought you were pushing HB a bit heavy ( especially when they first came on the scene ) but as I found out for myself when I got my hands on some of their guitars , they make great guitars for the money , and that's how gear should be judged , by what else you can get for the same price from other companies and HB often offer more bang for the buck. Don't let the paid shill comments bother you Henning 95% of your regular audience knows you are a knowledgeable , honest, decent man, giving us the best reviews possible. Also it's not mentioned enough , that you are a killer guitar player , I love to hear you play. Don't let the idiots get you down my friend!

Thank you for your honesty. This is my go to for gear reviews and I hope you get paid a shit ton for the work it takes to produce this channel

You are to be respected Sir, for your guitar playing ability and song writing talent. 👍🏼

100% agree with all points. Well said!