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Acoustic Guitar Multi Effects Pedal Roundup
To meet the specific tone and performance demands of acoustic guitarists, we bring you our acoustic guitar multi effects pedal roundup. Regular multi-effects pedals will generally work with acoustic guitars but they may not offer the things that matter most to singer-songwriters, singer guitarists, or folk guitar musicians. To get the most value out of your money, we have listed down the best multi-effects processors that offer tone shaping and live performance features that specifically benefits acoustic guitar players. Zoom A2.1u Acoustic Guitar Multi-Effects Our top pick belongs to the Zoom A2.1u, this simple looking multi-effects pedal brings all the essential acoustic guitar tone shaping and controls into a compact and portable package. As expected from Zoom, this unit comes with overkill features – 40 preset effects, 40 programmable patches, 45 effects grouped in 7 effect modules and 12 acoustic guitar preamp “models” based on popular mic’ed acoustic guitars. Another nifty feature of the A2.1u is its built-in drum machine with 40 rhythm variations, good for practicing or for adding percussion to your solo performances. The addition of an expression pedal gives you even more real-time control. Other features include anti-feedback, a USB out for recording and an integrated chromatic
Best Wah Pedal
Here are our top wah wah picks to help you find the best wah pedal for your rig to keep your sound expressive and exciting. The wah wah effect, or simply wah pedal, was originally designed to mimic the crying tone of a muted trumpet. It ended up altering sound as if mimicking a human voice, which worked really well with a guitar. Now, even though they are still sparingly used, the wah pedal is a staple in many pedalboards. Whether you want expressive solos or you want to add funk and soul to your riffs, our selected wah pedals will get the job done. Dunlop Cry Baby Wah GCB95 The Cry Baby Wah GCB95, aka Original Cry Baby, is at the top of our list because of its efficiency and simplicity. It is simply the most popular and viral of all the wah pedals. There are no bells and whistles to waste the battery and no controls to complicate your tone – just pure ’70s style wah sounds. The Cry Baby Wah is no push-over, it is housed in a road worthy case. Other Cry Baby models are available if you are looking for versatility, you can check out
Best Chorus Pedal
To help you find the best chorus pedal for your rig, we present you with the top chorus pedals that are currently available on the market. Chorus pedals are among the most commonly used guitar effect by professional guitarists. Its versatility makes it useful in a variety of musical styles, and can be applied to clean, effected and distorted sounds. Whether you want subtle chorusing to get bell like clean tones, or if you aim to bring back the ’80s era with a heavily chorused lead tone, you will find a chorus pedal that’s right for you in this pedal roundup. Boss CH-1 Super Chorus Our pick for the best chorus pedal goes to the humble Boss CH-1 Super Chorus. It is simple and straightforward, offering sufficient chorus control and versatility. It may not have the extreme chorus sounds that other expensive pedals specialize in, but it more than makes up for with its clean sound and versatility. With just a few knob tweaks, this pedal will simply get the job done, every time. Since its a boss pedal, integrating into a rig is never a problem, and its tried and tested design is sure to be road worthy. Get
Best Flanger Pedal Roundup
Add excitement to you’re guitar sound by employing quality flange effect. From subtle swirl to uninhibited jet like swoosh, these highly recommended flangers will help you break out from the usual clean and overdriven guitar tone. What is the Flange Effect? Like chorus, it duplicates your guitar signal and combines them together – but with flange one signal is slightly delayed at changing intervals. This sweeping delay variation is perceived by our ears as the swooshing sound that has made its mark in music, and it is now an essential tool for many guitarists. My personal favorite example of putting the flanger into good use is Eric Johnson’s “High Landrons”, where his trademark singing violin-like fuzz tone, and bell-like clean tone are flanged to achieve a truly jaw dropping sound. With the right flanger, you can accentuate your tone with mild oscillation or get sounds that range from subtle vibrato to the popular jet plane take-off swoosh. Here we feature the best flanger pedal along with its close competitors: Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress The Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress was the first flanger in pedal form and with the help of big names including David Gilmour, Alex Lifeson and Andy Summers, it
The Top 10 Best Compressor Pedals
Although the same volume balancing principle is used by all of these pedals, their approach, methodology and flexibility can vary. As such, your needs will depend on your playing style, be it versatility or simplicity and modern transparency or vintage style “warm” compression. Whatever your preference maybe, you will find a fitting compressor pedal right here in this list. What a Guitar Compressor Pedal Does A compressor pedal balances your sound by lowering the level of loud strings and increasing the sound of quieter strings. It does this by “squeezing” your guitar sound to make it more dynamically (volume) consistent. This uniformity is ideal for studio work to avoid sudden spikes in volume which can be problematic, and it also works in live situations for rounding off the edges of your guitar sound. The consistency and sustain of compressor pedals can get you from balanced clean to country quack and from funky highs to tight bottom end. Another common use is for adding singing sustain to your lead lines and chords. If you are going for a bluesy solo with lots of micro-tonal and micro-volume nuances, you’re better off with minimal if not zero compression, for funky chime or country
The Top 10 Guitars of All Time!
Here are the top 10 guitars of all time – instruments that shaped the guitar industry and revolutionized music. We have squeezed in all the guitars that made a big difference and we covered a range of musical styles. Note that there are usually cheaper versions of the guitars on this list so don’t despair if you don’t have the budget. There are Squire Strats, Epiphone Les Pauls, Gretsch Electromatics and other affordable alternatives for the budget conscious. Fender-Stratocaster American Standard Stratocaster When you say electric guitar, the most probable picture that comes to people’s minds is that of the humble Strat. The Fender Stratocaster has simply become the most familiar guitar in the world – bearing its distinct shape and practical setup. Its simple yet flexible combination of three single coil pickups is able tackle various musical genres. Its design was so successful that it has been the basis of many of the “super strats” and rock guitars that we see today. Thanks to its great playability, versatility and its relatively affordable price, the Strat has become a staple in the music world. From the closet rocker to Jimi Hendrix – it’s hard to deny that this guitar is
The Top Tremolo Pedals for Guitar
From adding subtle dynamics to your slow musical lines to going all out surf with your fast riffs, these top tremolo pedals are up for the job. The shimmering, wavering tremolo effect is simply created by circuitry that causes the volume to go up and down. You probably don’t even realize how many songs use tremolo effects but quite a number of guitarists use it sparingly just to mildly color their tone, making it almost unnoticeable. Countless blues, country, rock and even pop style music have utilized this strategy to great effect. On the other hand, Rockabilly and Surf music takes this effect to extremes, making a standard guitar sound almost like a choppy synthesizer. guitarists of almost every genre, from Vic Flick, to Robert Plant, to Brian Setzer and even Greed Day, use it to add wavering tones and color to their guitar sound. We have taken a good look at available Tremolo Pedals and have come up with a list of impressive standouts. Fulltone Supa-Trem ST-1 Manufacturer: Fulltone The unassuming Supa Trem pedal gets the top spot in this list, thanks to its impressive classic-sounding Tremolo effect. Fulltone was able to replicate the warm tremolo sound found in
Guitar Bridge Pins
Replacing your guitar bridge pins will improve the looks of your guitar, and help improve sustain, clarity and tone. Many players and guitar manufacturers attest that replacing your bridge pins is a simple, inexpensive, and non-intrusive way of enhancing aesthetics, stability and tone. Thanks to technology, there are a myriad of options available to pick for your upgrade. We recommend that you pick those with tapered stems to avoid having to drill your bridge holes for the string mass. The main types are: 1. Bone Bridge Pins 2. Metal Bridge Pins 3. Wood Bridge Pins 4. Plastic Bridge Pins Bone Bridge Pins: Exotic bone materials are rare and expensive for obvious reasons, these pins are said to add a bit more bottom end and sustain. Mammoth Ivory with Abalone 6pk Talk about historic, these pins come from Fossilized Mammoth Ivory (FMI) and is very expensive. They feature great looking abalone on the heads and are known for impressive durability. Many professional players attribute improved sustain, volume, and richness with these Mammoth Ivory pins. Some even claim increased harmonic overtones which greatly improves guitar tone. Manufacturer: Maurysmusic Buffalo Horn with Abalone 6pK The Buffalo Horn 6pk set is a black alternative
Guitar Synth Pedal Guide
Our guitar synth pedal guide will help you go beyond conventional tones via the use of wacky, out-of-this-world synth pedals. Synth pedals work like a keyboard synthesizer, they turn your guitar signal into electrical waves that control and trigger synth sounds and filter effects. It gives you the capability to imitate other instrument sounds or generate your own new timbres. We have focused on synth pedals that do not require special pickups or a MIDI connection. We have included video demos to give you an idea of how these pedals sound. Electro-Harmonix Hog Electro-Harmonix Hog If you are willing to shell out big bucks for the best guitar synth pedal, then prepare to open up to a whole new plethora of sounds with the Electro-Harmonix HOG, a polyphonic guitar synthesizer pedal that require no special pickup. This is a full featured synthesizer pedal which gives you complete control of up to 10 interval pitches including fifth and third intervals, filter sweeps, and crazy pitch bends. It features dedicated filtering and envelope controls, with essential setup options that make creating synth sounds a breeze. EHX Hog also comes with an expression pedal for even more control over your synth sounds. Checkout
The Best Hollow Body Guitar Brands
Here are the best hollow body guitars that will be sure to catch your attention with their classic looks and their acclaimed warm and clean tones. Hollow body guitars, also called semi-acoustic, are not to be confused with acoustic-electric guitars. These electric guitars are designed with a single hollow cavity within the body. They can produce low volume acoustic sounds when unplugged, but their true character shines when plugged in. Although mostly associated with jazz music, hollow body guitars have left their mark on all styles of music including country, pop, rockabilly and even hard rock. Gretsch When you think of hollow body guitars, the first thing that will usually come to mind is Gretsch. Although Gretsch was not the first in the market, they have improved on the classic design to the point of making the hollow body style their own. Their quality and intricately designed instruments became popular and widely used. The most popular of which is the Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins model, which is arguably the best hollow body guitar. Up to this time, it continues to be favored and used by many professional guitarists. Gretsch G6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body (Gretsch G6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body
MIDI Guitar Pickup Guide
MIDI guitar pickups require minimal modification to your guitar most of the time, and often none at all. Some MIDI pickups are simply installed or attached to the bridge saddle, while other pickup models replace the actual saddles with piezo equipped ones. Those that require no modifications will have their electronic components attached to the body of the guitar, while others might require you to drill holes to place the parts in. Once installed, you can simply connect it to a MIDI synthesizer, sequencer or computer to get the sounds you want. Roland GK-3 Divided Pickup This is a reasonably affordable and easy to install MIDI guitar pickup system from Roland. The Roland GK-3 can easily attach to any steel string electric guitar without any drilling or modification. It allows you to get individual signals from each of your guitar strings to GK compatible devices, letting you play chords and harmonies. The GK-3 has a GK knob and a select switch for mixing or changing between synth and normal guitar tone. It might get in the way of your right hand but this is still highly recommended for those that need MIDI without having to modify their beloved axes. A
The Best Bass Guitar Brands
Not all bass guitars were created equal, however that hasn’t stopped our experts from naming the ultimate bass guitar brands. We selected the top bass guitar brands based on popularity with musicians, influence, historical significance and quality. The top 5 bass brands are: Fender, Hofner, Rickenbacker, Music Man, Warwick. Fender Some might argue that many of the boutique bass guitars out there are better, but Fender still rightfully sits at the top as the best bass guitar brand. This is because of Fender’s popularity and significance, as well as quality. The Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass continue to be staples in many a bass player’s gig bag, and continue to be popularly used in many song productions. Fender has achieved iconic status, and other manufacturers continue to use these classic Fender basses as their foundation for improved designs. Fender ’50s Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass was introduced in 1951 and was the first mass-produced electric bass guitar. It became popular with musicians and has become an industry standard ever since. The Fender P-bass continues its bass guitar legacy because of its simple yet effective design. Jaco Pastorius Signature Fretless Jazz Bass Another favorite from the Fender brand
Best Acoustic Guitar Under $1000
We present to you GuitarSite’s award for the best acoustic guitar under $1000, along with some equally impressive runner-ups! There are a number of great acoustics in the sub $1000 price range, which is great from the point of view of having variety, but it can make it difficult to choose. But don’t worry, we’ve used our considerable experience to present you with the best options under $1000, along with some details to help you decide on which one to buy. These guitars feature tone woods, durability, attention to detail, and sounds that are comparable to many more expensive models. The Best! Martin DSR2 It was a close call, but ultimately, the Martin DSR2 tops all the best acoustic guitars under 1000 dollars. Although the runner-ups did come close and can arguably beat it on some aspects, this well rounded guitar served as our standard to which other guitars were measured. If you are looking for a great all around acoustic guitar, best get it from one of the oldest and biggest brands – C.F. Martin & Co. Getting a full featured and great sounding Martin guitar at a retail price of less than $1000 is already a very sweet
Best Guitar Stand Guide
This guide will show you some insights on the most popular and highly rated stands, to help you decide which is the best guitar stand to buy. Guitar stands are handy when we want to put a guitar down safely while keeping it within convenient reach. But heed this caution – when not in use, it is always safest to put your guitar in its case. Some of the foam and rubber used on guitar stands might cause discoloration or even damage to your guitar’s finish. Thin finishes like Nitrocellulose which are found on expensive guitars are said to be more susceptible. To be safe, many guitar players employ cloth coverings on all contact points, but to be truly safe, do not leave your guitar on a stand for too long. Hercules GS414B AGS Guitar Stand The Hercules brand is home to some of the best guitar stands, and the GS414B is one of them. Its AGS or Auto Grip System, uses the weight of the guitar to automatically secure and lock your instrument on the guitar stand, allowing you to operate it with one hand. Another plus is its wood patterned veneer, which unlike the usual black color, makes
10 of the Best Guitar Cables
The 10 Best Guitar Cables for Serious Musicians For worry-free performances, it is essential to invest in good-quality guitar cables. After all, you have spent a lot of effort perfecting your sound, so it makes sense to get the best guitar cables that are up to the task. Best Overall Mogami Gold Cable Experience exceptional transparency when you upgrade to a Mogami gold cable. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Value Boss BIC-10A Guitar Cable A tank-tough guitar cable, sturdy and road worthy for actively gigging musicians. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Budget Cable Fender Professional Series Cable Follows the tried-and-true approach to good build quality, but at a cheap price. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best in Quality George L’s Guitar Cable Eric Johnson, a renowned tone aficionado, swears by the clarity and quality of George L’s cables. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Vintage Style Vox VCC Vintage Coiled Cable A vintage style coiled cable, similar to what guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix used on stage. 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. When selecting an instrument cable for your setup, it
Silent Guitar Buyers Guide
Silent Guitars are acoustic or electric guitars that are stripped down to bare essentials, even the body becomes optional. As the name implies, Silent Guitars are designed to be played acoustically quiet, while keeping the amplified sound and playability as close to regular guitars possible. This is achieved by reducing the resonating body to minimum, while keeping the neck, pickup and strings in proper positions. Silent Guitars are different from travel guitars because they prioritize playability over portability, as exemplified by the skeletal body frames that allow for standard posture while playing. Interestingly, Silent Guitars are also being used on stage by many artists, thanks to its low maintenance design, feather like weight and feedback free performance. Yamaha silent guitars are the popular choice because of their relatively affordable price and wide scale marketing, however there are other builders that offer smaller and more travel friendly silent guitars at varying prices. Yamaha SLG130NW Yamaha SLG130NW Yamaha is the Silent Guitar manufacturer to beat, thanks to their impressive price to quality ratio. And big name artists like Brian May, Mike Stern and Lee Ritenour seem to agree. The SLG130NW is the top-of-the-line model designed to give you the true feel and
The Best Acoustic Guitar Straps – Steel String & Classical
The Best Acoustic Guitar Straps – Steel String & Classical Don’t wait until your beloved instrument falls on the floor, or worse, on your toes, secure your guitar with a functional and stylish strap. Listed below are some of the best acoustic guitar strap deals, categorized based on their form and functionality. Best in Comfort KLIQ AirCell This guitar strap offers air cell cushioning and grid design, perfect for acoustic guitarists who’s seeking a comfy strap. Amazon Read Review Best Embroidered Taylor Embroidered Suede 2.5″ Resembling premium but faux leather, and offers a broken-in feel, non-slip suede surface, and quality design. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Headstock Loop Levy’s MC8A A guitar strap made from leather, cotton, and suede with a headstock loop for guitars with one end pin. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Classical Strap Levy’s M20 Classical guitar strap with sound-hole hook, and tri-glide adjustments (27″-36″), Amazon Read Review Best Strap Adaptor D’Addario Acoustic Quick Release System Hassle-free headstock loop adaptor with quick-release design, ideal for multiple guitars. 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. A good strap will
Guitar For Beginners
If you are new to the Guitar then bookmark this page now. We update this page regularly with more information about everything from learning how to play a guitar, to the very basics of tuning, chords, tabs, and much more. Congratulations on choosing to learn how to play a guitar – it is a wonderful instrument and one of the few that you can play whole songs and sing along with at the same time – or your friends can sing along with you. As well as that it’s pretty much the best instrument you can carry around with you, take it to your friends place or the campfire. This makes the guitar a much more social instrument than something like piano or trumpet (and way cooler too!) The information here is broken down into several categories – just scroll down to the part you are looking for. Beginner Guitar Series This is a special series of articles written totally for beginners – our experts are adding to this collection of guitar wisdom every week: Guitar Stings – Their Names and Notes – introduces you to each of the strings on your guitar, and all the notes on the fretboard.
The Best Acoustic Guitar Pickup | The Results Are In
The Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups for Steel & Nylon Strings Are you wondering what the best acoustic guitar pickup is for your particular needs? Here, we’ll give you our thoughts on our top picks for the best acoustic guitar pickups for steel and nylon strings. Best Hybrid Pickup LR Baggs Anthem Tru-Mic Active Acoustic Guitar Pickup The LR Baggs Anthem is a high-fidelity acoustic pickup that blends a piezo system with microphone signals. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Passive Pickup DiMarzio Black Angel DP234 DiMarzio, often associated with electric pickups, gets our recommendation with their bright sounding and feedback resistant Black Angel acoustic pickup. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Humbucker Pickup Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking Pickup With Mic The Fishman’s Rare Earth is a soundhole pickup with incredible clarity and great sounding warm tones, which works well for stage and recording use. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best For Beginners Seymour Duncan Woody SA-3 HC Hum-Cancelling Pickup The Woody SA-3 is a premium wooden pickup that delivers consistent, noiseless tones while being easy to install and use, ideal for beginners. Sweetwater Amazon Read Review Best Bridge Plate Pickup LR Baggs iBeam Active The LR Baggs iBeam is a good alternative to
The 10 Best Guitar Effects & Pedals
Guitar effects have come a long way… This page is sponsored by Sweetwater so you can click through to get the full specifications, the latest price, and purchase any of the effects and pedals that we here at GuitarSite.com have selected. From the first ever tremolo standalone effect unit, to the complex amp and effects modelers of today. Soon we will probably be plugging into a guitar hero modeler, which will convert our playing technique to that of the guitar hero profile we selected! While waiting for this level of technology to come along we decided to name the best guitar effects pedals currently available, from the most feature packed multi-effects units to time tested classic analog pedals. Top 10 Guitar Effects Overview This table shows you all of the guitar effects and pedals in our top 10 list – scroll down below to read our extended reviews for each of these effects. # Image Link to Sweetwater Short Description Long Description 1. Fractal Audio Axe-FX II The Axe-FXII is the most sought after guitar processor in the market, supported by some of the biggest names in the guitar industry. If you can imagine a guitar rig, chances are this