Instruments & Gear Reviews & Tutorials

Discover the best heavy metal guitars under $300, great options from brands like Jackson, Schecter and Ibanez.

Compare the Fender Mexican (MIM) Player Strat and American (MIA) Professional Stratocasters and learn the difference so you can decide which guitar is better for you and your budget.

Yamaki brand acoustic guitars aren't so easy to find, and the reason is that some of them are every bit as good as the high-end American makes that they copied. Some of these Martin copies deviate from the norm with Redwood or Western Red Cedar tops and they have abalone inlays as well. I've never played one that I didn't like.

Check out the best Yamaha acoustic guitars, top-rated instruments perfect for beginners but good enough for intermediate and advanced guitarists.

Here is a list of the 20 top-rated guitars for metal. The best heavy metal and hard rock guitar has to not only look the part, but sound amazing too. Learn which instruments made the cut, and how to choose the right guitar for metal.

Check out my review of the Marshall DSL40C guitar amp. It’s a powerful, versatile tube combo from a legendary name in the guitar world.

The harmonica is one of the few musical instruments that can be carried in a pocket and that users can teach themselves to play.

Compare the Epiphone G-400 PRO to the Gibson SG Standard when it comes to sound, construction and value and find out which SG is right for you!

Check out this review of Jackson’s best guitars: The King V, Soloist, Rhoads, Dinky and Kelly. If you're metal, how do you choose only one?

Check out this list of best bass guitar brands in the world for 2020 and get help finding an instrument that’s perfect for you.

The best and most famous Fender Stratocaster players in rock history played Strats as unique as the guitarists themselves.

Here's my list of the best acoustic and electric guitar brands for players on a budget. Whether you are a beginner looking for a cheap starter guitar or a veteran guitarist who wants an affordable instrument you’d be smart to look to one of these brands.

Read my hands-on review of the Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded T electric guitar and decide if this affordable instrument is right for you!

If you're serious about playing music, you need to be prepared. Veteran players know that in order to get steady work, they need a well-stocked survival kit. Carry these items and be ready for anything.

Check out the top rock guitar builders who make the best guitars for rock. These are companies that have proven themselves as the best of the best over the decades.

The Fender Telecaster was born perfect. The design is timeless and utilitarian bliss. Here are 5 of the very best Fender Telecasters anywhere.

Here are the 10 best bass guitars under $200 for beginners, top-quality instruments and some of the best bass guitars for the money.

The hydraulophone is an interesting instrument. Pressurized water moves through a tube and out of a series of holes. Placing a finger over a hole produces a sound.

Find out which guitars besides the Epiphone Les Paul are among the best affordable alternatives to the Gibson Les Paul.

If you're looking for the best heavy metal guitar under $500 here are the top electric guitars you need to consider.

Bob Dylan's earliest recordings were made using a small all mahogany Martin 00-17 guitar. This guitar is no longer in production, but the very very similar Martin 00-15 is inexpensive and available.

There are lots of things to consider when buying a guitar. Here's a bunch of them.

Compare and review the best electric guitar starter packs for beginners, affordable kits from the most respected names in the guitar industry.

We can't all afford a $1500 Les Paul Standard, but with a bit of time and money, we can make a cheap guitar sound less... cheap.

Learn about the pros and cons of the Floyd Rose tremolo bridge, one of the most significant inventions in the history of electric guitar.

Learn about the Martin D-15M, an all-mahogany dreadnought acoustic guitar. This review looks at the unique sound and style of this amazing instrument.

The Gibson P-90 pickup is a legend in American manufacturing and American music. The Gibson Les Paul with a P-90 is the guitar with the original Les Paul sound, as wonderful now as it ever will be.

Check out this review of the Epiphone Les Paul Custom PRO. Compare to Gibson and discover if it's the right guitar for you.

Here’s a review of the Fender American Special Stratocaster and Telecaster, affordable American-made instruments with classic vibes.

Learn whether a beginner should choose an electric or acoustic guitar when starting out, and discover the differences between each type of guitar

Find out if expensive guitars are worth it and if you really need high-end gear to be taken seriously as a guitarist.

Check out some of the best Flying V guitars! This review looks at the classic Gibson Flying V and alternatives from Dean, Jackson and ESP LTD.

The Gibson Les Paul is one of the most copied guitars in the world. Here are ten great ones, some more exact copies than others, from ten different manufacturers of electric guitars

Find out how Marshall, Fender and Peavey, three kings of the guitar amplifier world, stack up against each other. Learn which amps are best for which genre and level of guitar player.

Learn the difference between a tube amp and solid state amp and decide which best meets your needs as a guitar player.

This Fender Standard Jazz Bass review takes a look at a Made-in-Mexico (MIM) version of a classic instrument.

Learn how to buy a bass guitar in this guide to choosing a bass for beginners. Get advice on setting a budget, understanding pickups, strings, scale length and more.

Small bodied acoustic guitars with mahogany tops were the guitars of choice for most during the great depression. Well, they sound great today too. Here are five of the best mahogany top small bodies.

These 5 essential guitar effects pedals are classic must-have stomp boxes, found on the pedal boards of some of the best guitarists in history.

Do you have a stack of records around, but don’t know how to properly clean and restore them? Here are some useful tips and solutions on how to restore your vinyl collection.

You are looking for building a home recording studio, but your budget is tight? Here are a few affordable ideas...

Review and compare 5 of the best bass combo amps under $500 for small gigs and practice, from some of the biggest names in the industry.

Learn about the difference between the Epiphone Les Paul 100, Special II and Studio and find out which electric guitar is best for you.

Jumbo sized acoustic guitars were created for folks who wanted even more volume out of their acoustic guitars than the large dreadnought design could offer. These are some of the best of the best.

When you are a serious guitarist, but your day job requires you to travel, you need a guitar you can take on the road. Here are five of the best travel guitars.

This review takes a look at Carvin and Kiesel guitars, brands available via custom order. Is Carvin a good fit for you? Read on and find out!

Is Squier a good guitar brand? This review takes a look at Squier by Fender and lays out the good, the bad and the ugly.

Everyone loves a Fender Telecaster, but not all Teles out there are made by Fender. Here are 5 of the best makes of Tele out there which are not Fender guitars.

The Gibson Les Paul is known as one of the greatest guitars in the world and with good reason. Here are 10 of those reasons!

Here is a review of the MojoMjo Overdrive from TC Electronic, an affordable guitar pedal with the sound and character to handle blues, country, and rock.

Compare 10 of the best electric guitars under $1000 in this guide to the top instruments for under a grand for the year 2020, all from big names in the guitar world.

Here is a list of the best electric guitars ever made, 20 instruments that are considered all-time classics in the guitar world.

Choosing an electric guitar with the right type of bridge for your needs is a key part of getting the sound you want from your instrument.

Find out what other guitarists say makes an electric guitar sound good or bad and cast your own votes in this online guitar poll.

If you’re trying to choose between the Gibson SG and Les Paul this article can help you sort out the differences and decide which is better for you.

Learn to choose the best guitar strings for electric and acoustic guitar, plus get tips for beginners on changing strings and guitar maintenance.

The Gibson Les Paul Studio is a great guitar, but how does it match up with the Les Paul Standard or Epiphone Les Paul? This review explains all!

In the 1970s Gibson guitars relaxed their quality standards and sold some things they should not have. The Japanese took notice and started building Les Paul copies. Here are five of the best brands.

Check out this list of the 10 best sounding acoustic guitars for under $1000, amazing instruments from the top guitar makers in the world.

Learn the difference between the Ibanez RG and S Series and decide which guitar is better for you and your music.

Learn what to look for when buying your first acoustic guitar in this comprehensive guide for beginners.

One of the 4 most iconic solid body electric guitars in the world, the Gibson SG is far less expensive than the other 3. This is also the most successful guitar Gibson has ever produced

Here’s a review of the Fender Standard (MIM) Telecaster. This guitar might be made in Mexico, but the MIM Tele is a real Fender through and through.

Discover which bass guitars are best under $300. Find a bass that keeps you under budget but still sounds amazing!

Here are the top ten electric guitars under $200 that are great for beginners or any player on a budget who is looking for an affordable instrument from one of the big names in the guitar world.

Here's my list of best bass guitars for under $500. If you are a bassist on a budget here are the top basses for the money. They're affordable, they sound great and they are made by some of the best bass guitar companies of all time.

Compare 5 of the best bass amps for beginners, top-rated amplifiers from some of the biggest brand names in the bass guitar world.

Discover the differences in the roles of lead guitar and rhythm guitar in a band and learn more about the skills required for both styles.

Which guitar brand is best for metal: Jackson, Ibanez, ESP LTD or Schecter? Compare construction, quality, sound, specs and more.

Small 15 and 20-watt guitar amplifiers are popular today, but can you really use them for gigs? Maybe! Learn the best ways to do it, which useful features to look for in a low-wattage amp, and when you should really be considering a more powerful guitar amp.

The Gibson SG Standard is an amazing guitar, and no question about it. But if you want an SG's vibe, but something just a bit different, then here are your five very best options or alternatives.

Which guitar players have the best tone? Here are a few who knew what it takes to get some amazing sounds out of an electric guitar and amp.

Looking for a Stratocaster guitar but want to stay away from Fender? Here are five of the most well thought of non Fender Stratocaster manufacturers.

A pair of spoons can be used as a folk and percussion instrument. A variety of playing techniques are possible and a range of rhythms and sounds can be produced.

Check out the best acoustic guitars for beginners, all under $200 and from some of the top brands in the guitar world. Thest guitars are affordable but not cheap!

This is my review of the BlumWay USB Cassette-to-MP3 Converter. It digitizes audio and stores direct to a USB flash drive without a computer or software.

Kurt Cobain was a hot burning star that went supernova. As a parting gift he gave us the MTV Unplugged concert. Here's the story of his guitar, and what similar guitars are available today.

All over the world mahogany body dreadnought guitars are sought after for their bright, woody tonality. These are the cream of the crop in mahogany body dreadnought guitars.

The Epiphone vs Gibson Les Paul debate has been going on for years. This review will help you decide which guitar is better for your budget and needs. Here you can compare construction, quality and sound between Epiphone and Gibson, and even learn a little history.

Learn how many watts you need for a guitar amp based on your goals. Get advice on amplifiers for home use, playing in a band, recording and more.

These five small body acoustic guitars are outstanding instruments of tremendous value, but they are instruments for the serious amateur or professional only.

If you want your 6-string guitar to sound like a 12-string guitar, this may just be the guitar effects pedal for you.

Here’s a review of SX bass guitars, affordable instruments for beginners or intermediate players. How does SX stack up against Squier?

Here's a list of the best acoustic-electric guitars on the market for under $1000. If you’re looking for a new acoustic-electric guitar start your search here!

Recording software is notorious for costing even more than some instruments, but that doesn't have to be the case. Here are five digital audio workstations under $100 that will do the job just fine.

Fear not, killer tone is already at your fingertips!

This guide can help you find the best guitar amp for the money. Beginner or pro, you need the right amp for your budget and style.

The best portable guitar amp combines cool features with great sounds in a small, battery-powered package. Here are 5 awesome choices.

Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai have been two of the most well known guitar virtuoso in the entire world for several decades. Well, here are the exact guitars they are each playing today.

Compare the top electric guitars that are best for intermediate players and guitarists who are just beginning their climb to the top.

Learn the difference between a maple or rosewood fretboard for guitar and decide which is better for your sound and playing style.

Ukulele or guitar? Find out which is easier and which makes a better first instrument for a beginner. Learn about the tuning of each instrument and what it takes to switch from one to the other.

Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster? Read this review to help decide which guitar is better for you based on sound, quality and differences.Learn about affordable versions of each and how to choose between them.

Discover the top electric guitars for blues and rock. If you play blues guitar, you need the best instrument for the job.

An amateur's repair of an old, damaged violin.

Compare the Squier Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe Stratocasters and decide which is better for your budget and style.

The world of the acoustic steel string guitarist is totally in love with the Martin D-28 Herringbone guitars. It has been this way since the 1930's, and it will be this way for long to come. While there are many different varieties, makes, and models of the high X D-28 from various and sundry manufacturers, this article examines five of the best without trying to encourage breaking the bank and spending someone's inheritance

Tonewoods are a key selling point for electric guitars, so why do some guitar players say they don’t even matter?

Here's a detailed list of the 38 best guitar brands. Anyone looking for the top electric or acoustic guitars in 2020 will find this guide useful.

Find out how to many watts you need in a bass amp for gigging, jamming at home, practicing your chops, and playing with a band.