Youtube Demo Artist Spotlight: Micky McCrystal
11th September 2026
Celebrating our Demo Artists
Here at Bare Knuckle we are immensely proud of our Youtube channel, and the demo artists we are lucky enough to work with. A Youtube channel, for a company that specialises in tone, is a priceless asset. Not only can players visit it to check out the sounds and tones we produce, it can be used as a tool for learning, a resource for inspiration and a way to form a community of like-minded players.
Recently we have been shining a spotlight on this fantastic resource, and the demo artists who make our Youtube the most amazing tool for guitar players worldwide.
Today we are talking to Micky McCrystal, a demo artist who has been with us for over ten years. Micky is an accomplished guitarist and teacher, and we are very lucky to have such a talented artist on our demo team. Let's get to know him a little better...
It's been so great to get to know our demo artists better over the past few weeks, and now we are going to learn more about guitar teacher Micky.
"I’ve been with Bare Knuckle for over ten years now. I first tried a Strat that had a set of Trilogy Suite single coils in and instantly fell in love with the company. I reached out to Tim, explaining what I was doing and the bands and musicians I was touring and working with at the time, and he took a chance on me. Over the years I built a great relationship and friendship with Tim and, based on the strength of the videos I was posting on social media, I was approached to do official product demos, and we’ve been working together ever since."
Tell us about your favourite guitar.
"It’s my white Strat that has Trilogy Suites in. I got that guitar when I was about sixteen and I’ve put more time in on that guitar than any other, so I feel like I’ve got a special bond with it."
Do you have a favourite Bare Knuckle pickup?
"That’s a tough question and I’m going to cheat a little and choose a few. I love the Trilogy Suite for Strat tones. For humbuckers I love the Holydivers, they’re my go-to for the rock and heavier stuff. I also go to the PG Blues for low-gain classic bluesy tones."
Micky, you are a guitar teacher and very experienced player. We are all wondering what you use live and in the studio to create great tones!
"Live: I’ve recently made the switch over to the Neural DSP Quad Cortex. I’ve been touring and gigging with actor and musician Jimmy Nail, alongside playing various arena shows, and front-of-house engineers absolutely love the reliability and consistency of the QC. On stage, I run it through a Laney FRFR 1x12, which acts primarily as my personal monitor. Tone-wise, I use a couple of captures of my favourite real world amps from my collection, specifically my Marshall SV20H and a Bogner Shiva 20th Anniversary.
Studio: I prefer a hybrid approach. I use a variety of physical amps including the Marshall SV20H, the Bogner Shiva, a Hiwatt Custom Super Hi 50, a Marshall JVM410H, and a Laney BCC Ironheart. If a session calls for something outside of my collection like a Vox or Fender style amp that’s when I’ll reach for the Quad Cortex."
How do you approach creating a YouTube demo for Bare Knuckle?
"It’s a mix of intentional curation and raw creativity. I usually start by trying to capture the exact vibe the pickup was inspired by. For example, with the PG Blues, I’ll naturally lean into a classic Peter Green or Gary Moore flavour. Other times, I’ll just set up a drum loop, jam out some riff ideas, and see what flows naturally. I usually find my best ideas are the instinctive ones that come together quickly, rather than pieces I've overthought. Ultimately, my main goal is to showcase as many sonic angles of the product as possible so potential buyers know exactly what it's capable of."
As a teacher you must dispense advice a lot to aspiring artists. Do you have any tips for people who want to get into working as a demo artist?
"Learn how to program solid drums and closely study how experienced creators transition between different sections of a product video. Writing a product demo can actually be much trickier than writing a standard song as you have to showcase a massive amount of musical and tonal ground in a very tight window. It's often for just one minute and thirty seconds, so keeping it engaging, concise, and informative is definitely an art form."
What does it take to make a guitar tone of your own?
"When it comes to product demos, honesty is key. I don’t do any post-processing to the guitars other than a subtle high pass filter to clean up the extreme low end. I believe gear demos should feel raw and authentic so players know exactly how the product responds in the real world, rather than hearing a heavily processed studio mix. My general thought is if it sounds great during tracking, it will sound great in post. Never rely on trying to 'fix it in the mix' later on."
Do you have any words of wisdom to leave us with?
"Master your Pentatonic scales and the CAGED system for chords—they are the foundational building blocks from which you can build everything else. Learn the notes on the fretboard, and then get comfortable with intervals and how chords interact with them. Once you connect those dots, you’re in a very powerful position as a musician and you’ll start to instinctively know exactly how a line or chord will sound before you’ve even played it."
It's been brilliant to catch up Micky, thanks for all you do for Bare Knuckle.
"Thanks for having me, and it’s a pleasure and an honour to be part of the Bare Knuckle roster; I love the products and am proud to represent the brand."
