Instruments & Gear Reviews & Tutorials

Learn what to look for when choosing an electric or acoustic guitar for beginners and get step-by-step advice on how to pick out your first guitar.

Angus Young has been the frontman, and face of AC/DC. He does it all with a Gibson SG guitar. Here's the rest of the story.

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.

Confused by guitar specs when it comes to buying your first beginner guitar? Read this guide to basic terms and definitions.

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!

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.

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

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.

Check out the best tube combo amps for under $1000. Whether you're into rock, metal, country or blues this article can help you find your sound.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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

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

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

The mbira is a traditional African instrument that is played in North America. An instrument based on the mbira can be used to detect the presence of counterfeit medicines.

Compare five of the best electric guitars under $750 and decide which top-rated instrument is perfect for you and your style.

The great Jimi Hendrix set the world of music on fire with his Fender Stratocaster guitars. He was the most influential Strat ambassador, and so Fender now makes two Jimi Hendrix Strats Here they are.

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

Compare the Fender Mexican (MIM) and American (MIA) Stratocasters and decide which guitar is better for you and your budget.

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

Here's a detailed list of the 33 best guitar brands. Anyone looking for the top electric or acoustic guitars in 2018 will find this guide useful.

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

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.

Check out the best acoustic guitars for beginners, all under $200 and from some of the top brands in the guitar world

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'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.

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.

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...

Check out this list of best bass guitar brands for 2018 and get help finding an instrument that’s perfect for you.

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

Check out this review of the Jackson JS32 Series. They're affordable versions of classic designs such as the Rhoads, King V, Dinky, Warrior and Kelly.

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.

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!

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

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

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

Discover the top ten electric guitars that are best for beginners, all under $200 and from big names in the guitar world.

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.

Radio station managers know that sound quality is part of everyday operations. But what is the audience actually hearing? Poor sound and shoddy production may lead to lost messages.

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.

The name "piano" is just an abbreviation. But what was it called originally - and where did it come from in the first place? What happened to the rest of its name?

A step by step guide on the best way to clean your trumpet or cornet. Keeping your trumpet clean will keep instrument playing its best and will help avoid slides becoming stuck.

Rock guitar superstar, Slash, a man with a universally known one syllable moniker, and a visual flair so distinct he can be recognized by just his silhouette, is the global ambassador for Gibson Guitars. He almost always plays a Les Paul, and here is the rest of the story.

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

John Fogerty is one of the greatest of all American songwriters, and he's penned numbers which will transcend centuries, and become folk songs. Hundreds of years from now, his songs will live on. He primarily played those songs on a Gibson Les Paul Custom.

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.

Joe Perry, formerly a toxic twin, and one of the two guitarists in US rock super-group, Aerosmith, is a legend of rock and roll. His primary guitars are Gibson Les Pauls, and here's the rest of the story.

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

Check out the best acoustic guitars under $300! Perfect for beginners and intermediate guitarists, but good enough to impress the veterans!

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

Discover the best heavy metal guitars under $300, great options from brands like Jackson, Dean, Schecter and B.C. Rich.

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.

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

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

It doesn't take a lot of money to find a top quality budget turntable these days! This article takes a look at four of my favorite cheap vinyl record players, and offers pros and cons for each one.

Learn about the Marshall MG guitar amp series in this review. Check out the MG15CFX, MG30CFX, MG50CFX, MG101CFX, MG102CFX and MG100HCFX.

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.

The Les Paul guitar by Gibson is a iconic electric guitar. But they make so many different ones it can be hard to know which is best. Here are 5 of the best across a range of price and style.

What's the fastest and easiest way to memorize a piano song? Is it a good idea, and if so, what benefits will it bring? Look inside to find out more.

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

Iconic, back-breaking, sustaining, brash and pricey, the Gibson Les Paul is a one of a kind guitar. Just don't stumble and lose your head.

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

The Gibson Marauder and S-1 guitars were crossover instruments where Gibson tried to steal some market share from Fender. These are somewhat rare birds, but very fine instruments should you find one.

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

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.

The best metal and hard rock guitar has to not only look the part, but sound amazing too. Here are a few guitars that make the cut.

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.

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.

Review and compare 5 of the best bass combo amps under $500 from some of the biggest names in the industry and find the perfect amp for your needs.

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

Here’s a review of my new Martin DX1AE, an acoustic-electric guitar with an amazing sound and an environmentally friendly build.

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.

This article tells you what kinds of equipment is needed to start your own home studio. It will explain what the equipment is used for and why you need it.

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.

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

With so many different option, it may be difficult to choose the best ukulele for your musical needs. The first thing you need to decide is what size ukulele you would like to play. This guide will help you to choose.

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.

Check out some of the best little mini acoustics. These small-bodied guitars are great for travel and jamming when space is limited or just for having fun.

Find out what to look for when choosing a distortion or overdrive pedal in this guide for beginners. Learn the difference between distortion and overdrive as well as what different types of pedals can do for your sound.

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.

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.

Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster? Read this review to help decide which guitar is best for you and your playing style.

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

Check out the top rock guitar builders, companies that have proven themselves as the best of the best over the decades.

The Gibson ES-335 debuted in 1958, and instantly became one of the world's most desired guitars. It was the first semi-hollow body electric with an arched top. Here are 5 of the best signature series ES-335s.

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.

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.

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

A Gibson Les Paul Custom with 3 pickups is forever an extremely desirable and also expensive guitar. Here are 5 of the best available.

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

Discover the Peavey TransTube Bandit 112, red-stripe version. This powerful little amp has served me well for more than a decade!

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!

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