Instruments & Gear Reviews & Tutorials

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

Check out the 5 best guitar amps for under $200 in this review, each packed with features and made by the top names in the business.

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

When it comes to vintage American guitars the big three will always come to mind. Now, everyone has heard of the big three American automobile companies, but we Americans have a big three for guitars as well, Martin, Gibson, and Fender. C.F. Martin...

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.

Every guitarist needs an acoustic/electric which is good enough to use in the studio and on stage. But a working musician also requires affordability in their road worthy guitar. Here are five.

Here's a review of the Squier by Fender Vintage Modified Jazz Bass '70s and a look at some if the other basses in the VM Series.

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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

The Telecaster has always been associated with country and western music, and in the mid-1960s, country rock. There is no limit to what music can be created with one.

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 my new Martin DX1AE, an acoustic-electric guitar with an amazing sound and an environmentally friendly build.

Learn the history of the Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster and Jaguar and why they are known as some of the most iconic guitars in the world.

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!

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

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

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.

If you play electric guitar and want to start building a pedal board, here are some tips on where to start.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

At some point or another most people who are into music wish to play an instrument, or see if they can - and the guitar is the most common instrument found in modern music. Here are five of the very best acoustic guitars for under five hundred dollars. These guitars are all very good instruments that won't need to be replaced until a musician reaches a higher skill level, and even then these are guitars that are keepers for a lifetime if they are properly cared for.

Fear not, killer tone is already at your fingertips!

Compare the 10 best electric guitars under $500 and decide which top-rated instrument is right for you in 2020. These are affordable, budget guitars for intermediate players, but good enough for the pros.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Here is a list of the best bass guitars under $1000. These are 4 and 5-string basses for intermediate players or working pros, and they are made by some of the top bass guitar builders in the world.

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

You'll save a whopping amount of money when you follow my tips before buying a used piano. I've sold pianos for years and learned what to avoid when you're ready to buy.

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

The Martin D 18 acoustic guitar is less expensive than the Martin D 28, D 35, and D 45 - it's FAR less expensive than the D 50 or D 100 - but the Martin D 18 may very well be a BETTER guitar than any of it's more expensive cousins.

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

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.

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

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

In this review you'll learn why the Fender Mustang Series modeling guitar amps are perfect for gigging and hobby guitarists alike

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.

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

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.

Learn the difference between classical and acoustic guitars and discover the pros and cons of each for beginners.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Knowing the difference between the Squier and Fender Stratocaster will help you decide which guitar is right for you and your budget.

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

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!

This article will help you choose between a combo amp and a head and cabinet setup for guitar or bass. There are pros and cons to each whether you play at home or in a band, and one or the other is likely the best option for you.

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.

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.

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.

All mahogany dreadnoughts offer a great counterpoint to the typical spruce top guitars. They have a unique voice too. They are most especially great for a singer songwriter who loves to play rhythm.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Learn about the Mexican-made (MIM) Fender Player Stratocaster and decide if the HSS or SSS if better for you and your sound.

Compare the best small guitar amplifiers and find the top amp for home use and practice. Beginners and pros alike love these little powerhouses.

If you've always wanted to own a Telecaster, and have a maximum of five hundred dollars to spend, then this information is for you. Here are 5 of the single best options.

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

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 the Fender Stratocaster vs the Telecaster when it comes to tone, versatility, neck profile, and more so you can decide which guitar is better for your needs.

Conch shells come from large sea snails and are used as wind instruments. The shells are played at ceremonies and in jazz. They produce a loud and eerie sound.

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.

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.

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.

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.

These are five top notch and less expensive solid wood alternatives to a Martin D-28. Rosewood and spruce in a dreadnought design is something very desirable, but not all can afford a D-28.

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 magical sounds that come from the harmonica are nothing short of a mystery. How do they do it? This article explores some of the masters of this tiny musical instrument.

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!

Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen are two of the most influential European guitarists in the world. Fender has Artist Series Stratocaster guitars in production for both. Here is the story.

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.

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

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

Check out the best acoustic guitar brands for intermediate players. These are companies with reputations for making quality instruments with amazing sound.

Check out five of the best hollow-body jazz guitars for under $1000. If you’re looking for the ultimate jazz box start your search here!

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

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.

Precision Bass vs Jazz Bass: Compare two Fender classics in this review and learn the difference in sound, construction, and specs. Find out which is better for you, your sound and your goals.

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

You always want an all solid wood construction dreadnought if you can afford one. Mahogany is a bright tonewood with a very woody sound, excellent for all styles of music. Here are 5 of the best.

Learn the difference between the Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Standard PRO, Studio and Custom PRO electric guitars in this review.

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

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.

Dreadnought guitars crafted from Brazilian rosewood are highly sought after, very expensive, and absolute treasures to own and enjoy. Here are my pics for the best of the best of them.

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