Guitarsite News

Best Acoustic Guitar Tuner

Best Acoustic Guitar Tuner: 2024 Roundup In this guide, we explore the best acoustic guitar tuners in their respective fortes. No pedal tuners here. Just good ol’ clip-on tuners and mic tuners for acoustic guitars! Best Strobe Tuner TC Electronic PolyTune Clip It provides precise tuning and streamlined design. Perfect for serious musicians seeking chromatic and polyphonic tuning. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Combo Tuner Korg TM-60 Handheld combo tuner with mic, precise tuning from C0-C8, built-in metronome. It has a sound back feature that lets you tune by ear. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best For Starters Snark ST-2 This streamlined, affordable clip-on tuner features a 360-degree LCD and tap tempo metronome, ideal for quick, hassle-free tuning. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Versatile Tuner Amazon Read Review KLIQ MetroPitch Features 3-in-1 functionality: tuner, tone generator, and metronome, aiding precise tuning and practice. Best Compact Tuner D’Addario NS Micro Tuner Compact and versatile, this chromatic tuner offers quick and accurate tuning with a sturdy 360° swivel design. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. While guitar tuner pedals get the pitch of

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Best Guitar Amp Under 200

Best Guitar Amp Under 200 With quality at an all-time high in the entry-level market, now is an excellent time to hunt for low-cost amplifiers. Here is our list of the best guitar amp under 200. Best Overall Fender Mustang LT25 Fender’s core clean tone and then some, in a portable and affordable combo amplifier. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Value Boss Katana Mini 7W A compact 7-watt combo amp with Boss Katana’s streamlined yet high-quality amp modeling and effects. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Old-School Amp Orange Crush 20RT There is no amp modeling, presets, or various effects—just a simple 2-channel clean/dirty channel. This amplifier is as old-school as it gets. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best for High-Gain Blackstar ID: Core 10 V3 Blackstars’ ID: Core 10 V3 has nice high-gain tones, known to the brand.New effects, and voicings along with its patented Architect editing software. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Feature Set Line 6 Spider V 20 MkII Streamlined design with Line 6’s rich arsenal of effects for extensive tone-shaping. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Due to

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Best Multi Effects Pedal Processors 2024 – Our Recommended List

Best Multi Effects Pedal Processors 2024 – Our Recommended List The quality of multi-effects pedal has jumped tremendously since they were first introduced. These days, you’ll often find the best multi effects pedal processors on stages and in studios, used by musicians pros and enthusiasts alike. Best Multi Effect Pedal (Overall) Line 6 Helix Floor Line 6’s flagship multi-effects pedal combines impressive tone, versatile control, and superior build quality. Sweetwater Read Review Best Multi Effect Pedal (Value for Money) Hotone Ampero A cheap and portable multi-effects pedal that can go toe to toe with more expensive digital guitar processors. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Multi Effect Pedal (Compact) Line 6 HX Stomp Streamlined and compact version of the popular Line 6 Helix, with essential effects and features covered. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Multi Effect Pedal (Cutting-Edge) Neural DSP Quad Cortex This new comer is redefining what a multi-effects pedal can do. Beating established brands with its sound quality. Sweetwater Read Review Best Multi Effect Pedal (Tone Quality) Kemper Profiler The game changing amp profiling technology of Kemper, packed in a compact floor based guitar processor. Sweetwater Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we

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Electric Guitar Wood Myth Busted?

After two months of testing, a La Trobe University researcher finds that electric guitar sound is unaffected by the body of the instrument. Which Electric Guitars Do We Rate As The Best? Matthew Angove, a La Trobe University Bachelor of Science honours student, conducted the research by trying out electrics of various shapes and builds. Being in the field of musical acoustics, Matthew found it unsatisfactory that very little research is done in the field of electric guitar. Compared to classical guitar musicians who tend to tinker with their instruments, it seems that most of the electric guitar research is done by manufacturers. Guitarists are familiar with the various tonewoods and shapes that are used on electric guitars. Manufacturers and guitar players suggest that using a particular shape, or a specific wood material – be it alder, poplar, ash, basswood etc – will produce significant and specific tone variations. Matthew was quoted saying: “I’m a player myself and I grew up believing the hype around different sounds and tones that can be created by using different woods such as mahogany or maple. I’m now testing that assumption.” According to Matthew, the idea behind the research is that the “common” knowledge

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The Best Wireless Guitar System Review

The Best Wireless Guitar System Review Are you tired of being tied to your pedalboard and amp? Want to free yourself from the hassles of long cables? Then check out our Best Wireless Guitar System recommendations. Best of Headline Shure GLX-D16+ The GLX-D16+ is a reliable wireless system specially designed for guitarists, with a stompbox-style receiver. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best of Headline Boss WL-50 The Boss WL-50 integrates seamlessly with pedalboards thanks to its compact size, long battery life, and high-quality audio transmission. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best of Headline Sennheiser EW 500 G4-Ci1-AW+ The Sennheiser EW 500 G4-Ci1-AW+ is a high-fidelity wireless guitar system with rock-solid reliability and a long-range, making it a great choice for professional guitarists. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best of Headline Sennheiser XSW-D The Sennheiser XSW-D is a compact pedalboard-friendly wireless system that is easy to use, has good range, and integrates well with existing setups. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best of Headline Line 6 Relay G10S Line 6’s Relay G10S is a compact and affordable hassle-free wireless system for guitarists who want a 24-bit digital audio quality. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we may

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The Best Nylon String Guitar Roundup

Here we present you with the best nylon string guitars, updated for 2017, sorted into three price brackets to help you find one that suits your budget and playing style. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Guitars stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Nylon string guitars have gone beyond conventional classical, flamenco, and Latin American music. Their mellow and punchy tone are now heard on virtually all types of music, including jazz, rock, country, avant-garde, experimental, world and even pop music. As such, manufacturers have been producing many different nylon string guitars to appeal to the needs of more guitarists. With so many to nylon string guitars on the market, choosing one can be a cumbersome task. To help with this, we have combed through what’s available to find those that provide the best tone, build quality and value for money, and we grouped them according to their price range. Note that cedar topped guitars are known for warm tones while spruce topped ones sound brighter, so you’ll want to consider this when taking your pick. You should also go for

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The Best Practice Amp Guide

Practice is the key to unlocking your playing and musical potential, and there’s no other way around it. Thankfully, practice does not have to be too hard, because with the right tools, you can have fun while taking your guitar playing to the next level. This is where we come in with our recommendations, to help you in finding the right guitar amplifier that will inspire you to play better. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the practice amplifiers stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. Here we present you with the best practice amps for guitar, updated for 2017, amps that are versatile, conducive to playing, easy to setup, and do all of these while sounding good. We ended up with a list of eight amps, and provided detailed descriptions for each one, along with why we, and many others, regard them highly. Contents The Best Practice Amps for Guitar What To Look For in a Practice Amp Volume / Projection Amp Modeling & Effects Practice Friendly Features Configuration and Portability The Best Practice Amps for Guitar Picture Link to Sweetwater Short

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The Best Loop Pedal Roundup

Best Looper Pedal Selection 2024 Looper pedals are in a league of their own. They’re one of those gears that aren’t exclusively tied to tone shaping but pure artistry. This means that choosing the best looper pedal will largely depend on your style and how you use loops. Best Simple Looper Boss RC-1 The Boss RC-1 is a reliable looper pedal that gets the job done with its simplicity and practical features. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Compact Looper Boss RC-5 The Boss RC-5 takes basic looping a notch higher with extra features, more control, and better display. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best for Beginners TC Electronic Ditto Looper The Ditto Looper from TC Electronic is the ultimate minimalist looper. Compact, reliable, and super easy to use. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best 2-Track Looper Sheeran Looper Developed in collaboration with Headrush, the Sheeran Looper + is a feature-rich looper with a user-friendly interface. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Gigging Looper Boss RC-500 Loop Station The Boss RC-500 is a powerful looping solution from Boss, with a guitarist friendly interface and feature set. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review We’re reader-supported. When you click product links on our site, we may earn an

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The Best Electric Guitar Brands

It has now been almost 8 years since we first published our list of the top 5 electric guitar brands. For this 2019 update, we continue with our expanded selection, which features today’s top 10 best brands. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Electric Guitars stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. When we rated these to see which were the best of the best, we took into consideration their quality, reliability, popularity with professional guitarists, and the impact they’ve had on music. After we originally published our selection of the top guitar brands, it became clear from the feedback we received that many of you wanted us to recommend individual models as well as the top brands, so here is our new selection that features a high-end and an entry-level model for each of the top 10 brands. Things To Consider When Buying An Electric Guitar Musical Preference and Guitar Heroes The style of music you prefer will greatly dictate the type of guitar you want, so it is safest to stick to the guns (or axes) of your heroes. This

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The Best Acoustic Guitar Brands

This is the 2019 version of our guide to the Best Acoustic Guitar Brands that we began publishing back in 2010. This year we’ve adopted a new format where we present our selection of the Top 10 brands then provide 2 recommendations from each brand. This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Acoustic Guitars stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended. The acoustic guitar’s basic design remains relatively unchanged, even after many years of technological advances. But this does not stop manufacturers from developing new ways to up the overall quality and appeal of the instrument. Here we honor the top brands that continue to meet, if not exceed, the expectations of acoustic guitar players, selected based on a combination of our joint 80+ years of experience and the ratings and feedback from people who have bought them, including our insider access to Gearank ratings. Things to consider when buying an Acoustic Guitar Caring For Your New Guitar The acoustic guitar has a hollow wooden body, which while feels solid to the touch, is a bit fragile, and can be affected by humidity

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The Top 10 Best Guitar Amps

If you’re looking to get a guitar amp, then you’re in luck because after much research, we have updated our Top 10 Guitar Amps list for 2016.   This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the Amps stocked by Sweetwater that we have recommended.     Guitar amplifiers influence guitar tone in a very big way, as exemplified by how the overdriven amplifier changed the musical landscape in the past, which paved the way to modern blues, rock, metal and other modern guitar styles that we now enjoy. So don’t take your quest for a guitar amp lightly, it deserves proper research, dedication and investment.   Choosing the right guitar amp for your musical style and budget can be a daunting with the many options that are currently available in the market. So we at GuitarSite researched what people buy and what they want to buy, we also took note of what guitarists rate highly in their reviews and comments, along with artist recommendations – all of which helped us come up with this list of 10 great amps updated for 2016.   Things

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The Best Bass Amps

We present you with the best bass amplifiers that are currently available in the market, conveniently categorized into price brackets so you can easily see the amps that fit your budget. Amplifiers have as much influence on the resulting sound as the instrument itself, as such it is important to find one that brings out the sound you want, and complements your playing style. To help you do just that, we have compiled this list of highly rated bass amps that sound great, work reliably, and offer the best value for your money. Note that we decided to stick to combo bass amps for the most part, because of their practicality and wider availability. And to give you a better idea of how each bass amp sounds and performs, we’ve taken our time to add videos for each of the amplifiers listed. Things to Consider When Buying a Bass Amp Power, Size and Weight There’s really no way around physics when it comes to reproducing quality low frequencies at higher volumes – the bigger the speaker, and the more powerful the amplifier, the better. However, having an amp that’s too loud and bulky has its own obvious drawbacks, mainly it

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The Best Guitar Pedals by Effects Category

We are constantly researching the best effects of all types, and for the first time we bring all of that information together in one place with this roundup of the best guitar pedals in each effect category. Our selection criteria included pedals which are in mass production and readily available at most music stores. There are some boutique pedals which we would have included but they are often out of reach due to high prices and a lack of general availability. The following effects categories are included: Distortion, Overdrive, Fuzz, Volume, Wah, Chorus, Phaser, Reverb, Delay, EQ, Tremolo and Compressor pedals. Scroll down below to see which one we have selected in each category. You can also click on the category title in each section to see a full list of the top guitar pedals of that type of effect. Distortion Boss DS-1 The DS-1 is one of those classic pedals which has stood the test of time so well that it’s still in production after more than 30 years since being released by Boss. Get the latest Boss DS-1 price and reviews at Amazon.com Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are two of the most famous guitarists who have put

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The Best EQ Pedal Roundup

We bring you the best EQ pedals for guitar, tone sculpting machines that give you ultimate control over your sound. Equalization plays an important role in all aspects of music production, and amplified instruments like electric guitars are not exempt from it. As a result, majority of amps and stompbox effects are bundled with built-in EQ, either through a basic tone knob, 3-band EQ, or other more powerful slider type EQs. Because of these built-in EQ effects, many guitarists have skipped on standalone EQs, leaving them unaware of the advantages that dedicated EQ pedals provide. Experienced players agree that having a standalone EQ pedal provides better chaining flexibility and improved tone shaping. Instead of being stuck with the original signal routing configuration of built-in EQs, you can place a dedicated EQ pedal either before or after a particular effect or amp. This opens up a wide spectrum of tone shaping options for you to enjoy, something that would normally not be available on conventional built-in EQ effects. Whether you want full control over the voice of your guitar, or you’re looking to subtly shape your sound to better work with the changing instruments and venues that you play at, you’ll

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Our Best Reverb Pedal Recommendations

From adding subtle depth to your guitar sound, to replicating the space of rooms and concert halls, these highly-recommended reverb pedals will end the dry spell on your tone. Reverb is naturally occurring, so whichever room or venue you are playing, there is just no escaping it, your guitar signal is never really “dry”. Reverb effects enable you to mimic and control these sonic bounces, letting your notes bounce off in a virtual space that you can tweak. The popularity of this effect among guitarists led it to be a standard add-on for amplifiers, and the need for flexibility and portability pushed manufacturers to transition the effect into pedal format. Here we look at the reverb pedals that we, and many others, rate highly, stompboxes that are proven to make guitars sound bigger and fuller. They are listed here for easy comparison, so you can conveniently pick one that fits your particular style and budget. Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano With virtuosos like Yngwie Malmsteen and Vernon Reid endorsing their brand, there’s no denying the popularity and reach of EHX. Their entry for the reverb market is the Holy Grail, which is currently one of their most popular pedals and available

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Guitar Speaker Cabinet Roundup

To help you find the best guitar speaker cabinet for your rig, we present you with the most sought after and best selling models available. Aside from considering speakers that match the technical specifications of your amplifier, you also have to consider the size and number of speakers and the type of baffle used. When it comes to size, the smaller speakers are expected to provide better sonic clarity while lacking power. On the other hand, bigger speakers sacrifice some of the frequencies for more power and volume. Cabinets with a single speaker are still the go-to format for many because it is straight forward and affordable. More complex and powerful configurations are also available from two speaker format to the incredibly loud four speaker format. Multi-speaker cabinets allow for stereo setups and better sound dispersion. Picking between “Closed Back” and open back design is another important decision to make. Most of the guitar speaker cabinets made today have a closed back design, meaning the back of the cabinet is totally sealed off. This allows for a tighter and more focused sound that jumps straight at the front, and it emphasizes the lower frequencies better. “Open Back” design is popular

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The Best Electric Guitar Kits To Build

Tired of the same production line guitars that everybody’s using? Standout from the crowd by building your own personalized instrument. Check out these excellent DIY electric guitar kits, which you can build, modify and finish to create your very own “signature” axe. Eddie Van Halen’s DIY guitar, “Frankenstrat“, is a shining example of how talent and creativity can turn cheap guitar parts into one of the most iconic electric guitars in history! Years later, this guitar is being mimicked by big name manufacturers, with price tags that are ridiculously steep compared to how much Eddie himself spent in building the original kit. Thankfully, a number of guitar manufacturers are offering DIY guitar kits at a price point that’s reasonable if not surprisingly low. There are quite a number of electric guitar kits available, ranging from beginner friendly affordable packages to the more expensive kits that feature premium tone woods. From these, we have selected the best electric kits that cover a wide price range and style. In addition to letting you customize the body, neck and finish, these kits are compatible with 3rd party hardware, which means you can install high-end pickups, tuners and bridges to create your dream guitar.

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Cheap Bass Guitar Roundup

The quality of cheap bass guitars is on an upward trend as technology makes more efficient materials and construction methods available. Whether you are just starting out or you are simply looking for a good deal, we have picked out the best among the bargain priced bass guitars to help you make the right choice. Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass 70’s With its killer looks. superb tone and impressive hardware, we consider the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass ’70s as the best cheap bass guitar. Its maple body and neck convincingly mimics the look and feel of old 70’s era Jazz Bass guitars, resulting in a versatile instrument that is easy on the eyes, on your hands and on your ears. The hardware installed follows the vintage theme, including the tuners, 4-saddle bridge and 3-ply pickguard. The key to the great tone of the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass is its 2 single-coil Duncan Designed JB101 Jazz pickups, they give authentic vintage Jazz bass tones without the hefty price tag, and many are impressed. Beginners who start out with this bass will be easily satisfied, while professionals will find this inexpensive bass to be a worthy and reliable back-up. Get

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Best Guitar Amp Attenuator Roundup

We all love the sound of a cranked tube amp, but it can be too loud in many situations. This is what power attenuators are for – reducing the loudness of your amp while retaining the cranked tube tone. NB: We have revised our recommendations for 2018 and while we are no longer recommending the Suhr Jim Kelley, the three attenuators below still represent the best currently available in our opinion. By utilizing attenuators, you can get the gritty sound of driven tubes at any volume level – without having to modify the circuit of your beloved tube amps. With a good amp attenuator, you can finally use your big and loud amplifiers even in smaller venues, without having to compromise tone . Attenuators also come handy when recording in small studios where cranking up your regular tube amp can be too loud. Note that even when using an attenuator, over-cranking your amp for prolonged periods will still cause faster wear and tear to the tubes – much like when the attenuator is not in use. So finding the right balance for the gain and attenuation level is important if you want to save your tubes. Rivera RockCrusher Power Attenuator

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Pitch Shifter Pedal Roundup

If you are looking to create more expressive solos, add intelligent harmonies, or if you simply want to have fun with unconventional tone textures, these pitch shifter pedals will get the job done. Eventide PitchFactor Harmonizer Because of its versatility and tone shaping controls, the Eventide PitchFactor pedal continues to be the most sought after pitch shifter pedal today. It carries 10 pitch-changing effects from Eventide that big name artists trust in the studio, all packed into a single stompbox. The effects included are Diatonic (scale based shifting), Pitchflex(whammy), Quadravox (up to four pitch-shifted voices), Octaver (low octave), HarModulator, MicroPitch(minute pitch shifting), HarPeggiator(two 16-step arpeggios) , H910/H949 (based on the classic Eventide harmonizer effect), Synthonizer(synth style sound) and the crowd favorite “Crystals”(unique sound that features a combination of pitch shifting, reverb and delay). If you think that with these many effects, the sound maybe compromised, you will be surprised that it retains the same Eventide quality as their rack effect counterparts. If you want nothing less than the best pitch shifter pedal, then look no further than the PitchFactor. Get the latest price & reviews at Amazon.com. DigiTech Whammy The Whammy pedal is easily the most popular pitch shifter in

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