The 8 Best Fender Amps for Any Guitar-Playing Style in 2024

For over 70 years, Fender amplifiers have been the sonic bedrock upon which countless legendary performances have been built. From smoky blues clubs to sprawling rock arenas, Fender has consistently delivered a distinct and unforgettable tone that has shaped the…

The 7 Best Boost Pedal Options for Your Pedalboard

Boost pedals have been around since the 1960s. While not quite an overdrive, a quality clean boost is meant to get more decibels out of your guitar and amplifier. The most common use would be to selectively click on a…

The 10 Best Guitar Cases for the Road in 2023

Having the right case for your guitar is a prerequisite for touring, gigging, carrying to and from rehearsal, and for safe storage at home. Some are built to withstand heavy duress, like air travel, and others are designed with portability…

The 8 Best Guitar Strap Locks to Protect Your Axe

Guitar drops are an unfortunate mishap, often the result of a twisted strap or an otherwise insecure connection to the existing strap buttons. One accessory prevents disaster altogether, so you can protect your investment from potential incidents. The best guitar…

Tone King Gremlin Review: Is This Stylish Combo Worth the Price?

The Tone King Gremlin is a compact yet robust tube combo amp that offers old-school tones in a convenient and manageable package. Nothing sings as sweetly as a boutique tube amplifier. How does the Tone King Gremlin hold up in…

Vox AC15C1 Review: Level Up Your Home Practice Amp

Vox is a renowned British manufacturer of musical equipment, including guitars, drums, keyboards, and most highly regarded of all, amplifiers. Founded by Thomas Walter Jennings in the late 1950s, Vox quickly became an iconic name in the world of music…

The 10 Best Guitar Tuner Options in 2023

It goes without saying that one of the most important first purchases for every guitar player is a tuner — that bears no further explanation! We’ve put together a list of 10 of the most popular options to help narrow…

Fender Champion 40 Review: An All-Around Powerful Practice Amp

In the realm of musical amplification, Fender has held an unwavering reputation for shaping the sounds of generations. From revered vintage models to modern innovations, Fender’s amplifiers have continuously evolved to meet the diverse demands of musicians across genres. In…

Lace Sensor Hot Gold Review: Why You Should Consider These Single-Coil Pickups

As long as the electric guitar exists, Stratocasters, S-type copies, and their associated triplet of single-coil pickups will as well. Strats created the blueprint for single-coil pickups, and various iterations have been done countless times over by the finest designers…

The Best Guitar String Cleaner (7 Picks for Your Axe)

The unsung hero of guitar maintenance is the best string cleaner. For many of us, guitar care isn’t as fun as shopping for actual guitars, amps, or pedals, but it’s a good idea to get familiar with the basics to…

The 10 Best Telecaster Pickups [2023 Guide]

The iconic sound of a Telecaster is known for its distinctive and timeless character. Developed by Leo Fender and introduced in the ’50s, the Tele is one of the most influential electric guitars in history, shaping the sound of numerous…

The 15 Best Small Tube Amp Options for Home Use in 2023

Being a guitar player sets you on a path of tone chasing — there’s no way around it! There are so many ways to tweak the sound of our instrument, from the guitar itself, to pickups, pedals, strings, plectrums, and…

Mitchell MS450 Review: The Perfect Entry-Level Electric Guitar?

In this review and rundown we’re looking at the Mitchell MS450. This guitar is a versatile and affordable instrument that delivers a wide range of tones, classic looks, and modern playability. Crafted with attention to detail, this single-cutaway beauty provides…

Martin Special D Review: A Perfect Mid-Level Acoustic?

Looking for a midrange instrument that plays like an ultra-expensive one? They aren’t always easy to find, but suitable guitars do exist, in which the quality and playability seems to greatly outweigh the price. The Martin Special D might be…

The 8 Best Wireless Guitar Systems in 2023

A wireless guitar system is a perfect way to clean up and professionalize your rig. If you’re tired of lugging around long cable runs, then it’s time to go wireless. Why Consider Using a Wireless Guitar System The main reason…

Understanding Guitar String Gauges: What Gauge Is Best for Me?

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of guitar string gauges, especially when you’re brand new to the instrument. There are a number of factors at play when choosing the right strings, not excluding your guitar’s scale length, the tuning you…

Seymour Duncan 59 Review: Modern Humbuckers with a Classic Flair

When you think of the “Mount Rushmore” of electric guitar, who comes to mind? Many names played huge roles in its development and refinement, including Leo Fender, Orville Gibson, Les Paul, Adolph Rickenbacker, and Jim Marshall, amongst others. Certainly deserving…

The Best 11 Amp Simulator Hardware & Plugins [2023 Guide]

There are a lot of benefits to going the amp simulator route as a guitarist. Cost and versatility are both huge advantages over real amps, because modelers can give you access to hundreds of different heads, cabinets, and effects sims…

The 20 Best Virtual Amp Sims in 2023 [Free & Paid]

A great amp sim can take your guitar recordings to the next level since not many of us can record a 100-watt tube head at home. There are attenuators, sure, and lots of modern amps are being built with direct…

The Best Pedal Board Options for Guitarists [Any Budget]

Musicians, professional and hobbyist alike, who are enthusiastic about effects pedals understand how collecting them can become a passion within a passion. There’s so much variation out there: you have mass-produced effects, boutique, hand-wired ones, those that produce straightforward and…

8 Best FREE Guitar VST Instruments in 2023

Guitar is one of the toughest instruments to sample for a plugin. There’s so much detail and nuance that’s just too easy to lose in translation. Most of the time they end up sounding over-processed and fake—really far from the…

The Best Patch Cables for Your Guitar Pedalboard in 2023

When you’re trying to build out a neat and functional pedalboard, it’s the details that truly matter. Cables are definitely the least interesting part of the board, but choosing the right ones can make connecting everything — in an orderly…

Yamaha APX600 Review: Is This Thinbody Acoustic Worth the Price?

Rarely does a guitar come along that boasts as many features for the price as this one in today’s review. The Yamaha APX600 is an acoustic guitar designed with electric players in mind, and upon review, is one of the…

Line 6 Catalyst Review: A Versatile Line of Affordable Amps

Line 6 has always been at the forefront of amp and effects modeling. The early Line 6 PODs were, for many, an introduction to amp simulation, allowing guitarists to write and record at home without blowing down the house with…

The 7 Best Mics for Guitar Amps to Get Killer Tone

Every guitarist is on a personal quest for the greatest tone ever. That’s half the fun of playing guitar! But just when you’ve found the right pickups, pedals, the perfect string gauge, the ideal plectrum material and thickness, and of…

The Best Modeling Amps to Elevate Your Guitar Sounds [2023 Guide]

Modeling amps are one of the easiest ways to inject a ton of tonal variety into your everyday playing. There’s something about the convenience of digital emulations that make these amps so fun to play, whether it’s just practicing on…

7 Best Reamp Boxes in 2023

Reamping takes place in two stages during both the recording and mixing phases. A reamp box is a specially designed device that allows you to send a clean guitar signal from your DAW to an amplifier, letting you tweak tones…

Who Makes the Best Guitar Stands? [Top 10 for All Budgets]

You may be wondering, “who makes the best guitar stands?” Below are 10 of our top favorites to keep your guitars safe and secure! Keeping Your Space Organized and Functional Is Key We talk about workflow and efficiency in the…

What Are the Best Budget Guitar Cabs (Our Top Picks for 2023)

Curious as to what are the best budget guitar cabs for your brand new tube head? Here are our favorites heading into the upcoming year! What Is a Guitar Cabinet & When Would You Need One? A guitar cabinet is…

Boss Katana Air Wireless Guitar Amplifier Review

The Katana amp series by Boss has a fantastic price-to-features ratio, making it one of the go-to choices for beginners as well as experienced players in need of a solid practice amp. The lineup is extensive, and today we’ll be…

Headrush MX5 Review: An All-In-One Effects Powerhouse

Check out our breakdown and review of the Headrush MX5 multi-effects pedal and amp simulator to learn if this compact modeler is right for you! What Is the Headrush MX5 & What Does It Do? The Headrush MX5 is a…

Tube Amp vs Solid State: What’s the Difference?

If you’re a guitar player, there’s a good chance you’ve pondered the tube amp vs solid state amplifier debate. Most of the love gravitates toward tube amps, but there have been notable solid state players over the years as well.…

What Is a DI Box for Guitar and What Does It Do?

Ever wondered what a DI box is and why you’d need to use one? Look no further as we discuss all things DI for guitar! What Is a DI Box? The purpose of a DI is to convert an unbalanced,…

6 Best Practice Amps in 2023

Every guitarist could use a great practice amp, whether they’re a beginner or have been playing for years. The ideal choice should first and foremost provide great tone and flexibility, perhaps come with some onboard effects, and be small and…

Acoustic Loop1 Looper Pedal Review: Easy to Use and Made to Play

A good looper pedal serves a variety of purposes for guitar players. They can be excellent practice and writing tools, letting you improvise over chord progressions or explore song arrangements without having to set up to record. Some solo musicians…

The 9 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups for Any Playing Style in 2023

Acoustic guitars benefit from pickups when you need to amplify the signal in live settings. Having a microphone on stage fixes the player to one spot, and the sound might suffer from bleed or being off-axis should the guitarist move…

Finding the Best Guitar Capo (For Acoustic & Electric)

As you become more and more invested in playing guitar, you’ll find that the capo is one of those inexpensive accessories with a major impact on the instrument’s sound. Everyone should own one, even if it’s just to experiment with…

FAQ Friday: Should you buy more guitars and Melodyne in Pro Tools?
For this FAQ Friday, we answer the often asked question: “How many Guitars, Basses, and Amps do you think would make for a well rounded studio?” We are also excited to have Matt Lange taking us through Pro Tools with…
Interviewing Guitar Legend Buck Dharma – Blue Öyster Cult
What a pleasure to speak with the American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Buck Dharma. Yesterday we did an analysis on one of Blue Oyster Cult greatest hits, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, and how the song changed the music industry! “(Don’t…
Don’t Fear The Reaper – Blue Öyster Cult: Songs That Changed Music
Is it an optimistic take on the inevitability of death, or a glorification of suicide? Is the “sound” exemplary of Blue Öyster Cult’s music, or is it an anomaly that deviates from the style of their discography? Will the timeless…
I Covered The Beatles’ Ticket to Ride With The NEW Volt 476P + Multitracks and Giveaway!
I am so excited to share with you our newest cover! This time, I am taking on vocals with Fernando Perdomo on drums for this awesome cover of The Beatles’ unforgettable tune, Ticket to Ride! What’s more exciting is the…
Waves StudioRack Is Now FREE And Accepts Third-Party VST3 Plugins
Waves Audio's StudioRack plugin rack, which for the first time will be able to host not only Waves plugins – but any VST3 plugin.  That's right, you will now be able to load non-Waves VST3 plugins inside Waves StudioRack! The…
Audient’s Upgraded ASP4816-HE & New Look ASP4816-SE Now Shipping
Hampshire, UK;  Audient is delighted to announce that the ASP4816 Heritage Edition console is ready for shipping. Previewed back in June at this year’s NAMM show, it features a brand new look and a few more tricks up its sleeve,…
Kali Audio Announces “Atmos Brunch” Event in Los Angeles, June 5
Kali Audio will be holding an educational brunch on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at The Village Studios in Los Angeles. The event is open to industry professionals who are interested in learning about Dolby Atmos. In addition to brunch, the…
Getting Creative With Drums
Let us ask you this, do you actually have access to a drum studio? Or even more….a drummer? Many of us do not! Drum emulation can be a fantastic solution to this, but for most of us it stops there:…
J Clark’s Impressive PMC Immersive Studio
J Clark is an engineer, mixer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, CA.  J’s studio is a sight to behold! Built in collaboration with PMC Loudspeakers, Dolby Laboratories, and Sony Home Entertainment, J’s studio is built to handle anything…
FAQ Friday With Guitar Max
On this mavellous Friday, we're joined by the one and only Guitar MAXalso known as Max Carlisle. Today, he's brought in a rather special guitar, the PDJ Woodford Classic that is new on our radar but sounds absolutely incredible. As…
Humbucker vs Single Coil Pickups: What’s the Difference?

Apart from the amp, pickups have one of the biggest impacts on tone. It’s common to swap them out until you find just the right set that complements your playing style. To better understand humbucker vs single coil sound, we’ll…

Interview with Jared James Nichols
Hello friends! Today we are sitting down with the amazing Jared James Nichols. Hailing from East Troy Wisconsin, Jared James Nichols is a guitarist of incredible caliber. Nichols moved to Los Angeles in 2010. He won the Gibson Les Paul…
How To Change Acoustic Guitar Strings
There are a ton of methods to change your acoustic guitar strings, and there is no one right way! In this tutorial I will show you how I change my acoustic guitar strings and also give you an extremely helpful…