We at Beginner Guitar HQ have reviewed some great Squier alternatives. We’ve listed the Classic Vibe Series, the Squier Jaguar models, and the Squier Bullet Stratocaster. Time and time again, we find that Squier has grown so much from its early “cheap instruments that are trash” reputation. Right now, Fender’s subsidiary Squier is the top
Fender has a decades-long reputation as a top leading guitar maker. They share their throne with the likes of Gibson Gretsch and LTD. Everyone knows Fender means high-quality and standards. I’m here to talk to you about Fender’s budget Telecaster guitar, the made-in-China Fender Modern Player Telecaster Plus. As I said, this is an affordable
Is it worth the money? Us mortal guitar players have heard over and over how good the American Fender instruments are. If you’ve done some digging, you’ve also seen how expensive the American Special Telecaster can get. Every musician, even beginner musicians, has some context on the quality of Fender. Even so, we might wonder:
Both Squier and Fender produce the Classic Vibe series, a very popular lineup of bass and electric guitars conserving the vintage feel, look and sounds of the original Fender instruments. There’s a twist, though. Fender and Squier add some modern retouches to these instruments, distinctive features that turn the Classic Vibe into such an attractive
You’ve probably heard a good deal about tonewoods, pickups, and strings being important to the overall sound of the guitar. The neck? Maybe not so much. Or perhaps you know that although more fragile, a solid neck is better for the overall sound, as are chunkier necks. But what about guitar neck shapes? While guitar
You may have thought of the wood that guitars are made from only in terms of how to store and care for your guitar, or in terms of aesthetics. But did you know that wood actually has quite a bit of influence over the sound of acoustic guitars and hollow-body electrics? That’s why we call
You’ve undoubtedly heard about humbucker pickups if you’ve looked into this type of thing. Along with single coil pickups, they’re the most popular pickups. But there is another type of pickup, called the P90 pickup that looks like something in between the two, and it’s also pretty popular in certain genres. How then do P90s
Are you building your own guitar? Are you upgrading or repairing your current guitar? Or perhaps you want to buy a new guitar, but just don’t know which pickups will work best for you. There are other pickups than just humbuckers and single coil pickups. I’ll explain a bit about the other type too. But
If you love a warm airy acoustic tone that works well whether plugged or unplugged, a semi-hollow guitar is the way to go. That’s not to say you can’t add some distortion. Originally designed for jazz music, they’ve become popular for a range of genres including rock, metal, pop, blues, country, any genre that uses
If you like to travel with your guitar a hard case is a good thing to have. It provides a lot more peace of mind if your guitar has to get stored in the cargo section of the plane or if you’re packing your vehicle full of stuff for a camping trip. If you’ve moved
The iconic Fender Telecaster is the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar in history. The long-running musical company achieved the high mark because of various technological advancements they included and created. One of such is the single-coil pickup design, so today, we’re looking at the best Tele pickups available in the market. After all, the Telecaster
Tremolo is one of the oldest and most popular effects ever created for guitar. First used as a built-in effect for guitar amplifiers in the 1960s, the iconic “wobble” and pulsating rhythm that tremolo provide made it an indispensable effect on many players’ pedalboards. In the modern day, tremolo is just as popular as ever,
So, you’ve been playing your trusty old electric guitar for a few years now, and though you love the way it feels to play, you wonder if you could get a better tone out of it if you installed some different pickups. Or maybe it’s not even a subjectively ‘better’ tone that you’re going for,
Today’s article is reviewing the best acoustic guitars under 1000. Naturally, we’ve included various premium choices without breaking the triple-zero price mark. At the same time, we included budget and mid-tier options as well. The best way we found to create the list was climbing the price ladder with each item, so you see what
If you’re eager to upgrade your electric guitar, the cheapest piece of hardware is a set of tuning pegs. Let’s say you have a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, or any other Fender, Squier, or Fender-inspired guitar. In that case, the best option for you would be getting a Fender locking tuner. Machine heads are often forgotten
Getting up on stage and singing can be a pretty daunting experience, for beginner and experienced vocalists alike. Not only are you singing live, in front of a full audience (hopefully), but you don’t have the comfort of post-production tools like reverb and autotune to help round out any mistakes. And you sure as hell
Despite solid-state and even digital modeling amps having been around for several years now (and sounding pretty damn good), we guitarists just can’t seem to get enough of that vintage tubey goodness. Maybe it just can’t be beaten, maybe there’s a bit of snobbery going on (to be honest, it’s probably a bit of both),
Today, we’re taking a look at the Boss CS-3 compressor and sustainer pedal for electric guitar. The CS-3 is one of those models that grant Boss such a high reputation, and we’re going to see why. Boss is one of the top-tier companies regarding guitar and bass pedal effects. Their reputation doesn’t come with a
Squier is perhaps everyone’s favorite budget guitar manufacturer, and Gibson’s subsidiary Epiphone is its only rival, in terms of sheer popularity. The appeal of a budget Stratocaster or Stratocaster guitar is simply too much. Among all of Squier’s incredible offers, we find the Squier ‘51 Stratocaster guitar. Originally, the guitar is part of Squier’s Vintage
If you read “Fender” on the brand, you know it’s something good. Add 60-watts of tubular power and you’ll end with a pricy, premium item. As such, the Fender Hot Rod Deville is a top-tier offering by the legendary musical gear brand. We’ve reviewed many Fender guitars, and we even named Fender as one of
Instead of reviewing mid-level and budget musical gear as we normally do, we’re going all-in. You’re in luck if you’re looking where to spend your hard-earned money on a professional guitar. The Schecter Hellraiser C-1 is a dream made electric guitar for metal genres. Schecter Musical Research is an American company. It needs no introduction.
So you want to sound like Jack White. You’ve come to the right place! In this article, I’ll show you all the gear that Jack White’s guitar rig is made up of, as well as the gear that is readily available in today’s market to help you sound like him. Since the White Stripes released
The G&L JB2, otherwise known as the “Tribute,” follows the original J-bass design of Leo Fender. It’s not a copy, though. Leo Fender himself founded the G&L company after he left Fender in 1965 due to health conditions. That means we’re looking at one of those models crafted by one of the most legendary luthiers
You’ve been playing guitar for a while now. But how well do you really know this iconic instrument? Ace your next trivia night (or just impress your friends) with these fascinating facts –– covering everything from ancient instruments to legendary players to the latest World Records. Popularity Guitar Facts Chuck Berry’s 1956 hit “Roll Over
The Japanese music instrument maker has a straightforward idea. “Our instruments are for playing metal,” they would say, and that’s precisely what the Ibanez S521 stands for. It’s not the ultimate, definitive metal guitar, though. It’s not Ibanez’s most premium model either. Still, it’s a testament to their core philosophy. Ibanez is the go-to brand
It’s time to create a shorter guide on the best jazz bass pickups. These single-coil pickups for bass are better known as J-pickups. Why do we know them as J-pickups? Well, that’s easy. Fender invented these bobbins when they introduced the first Jazz bass in 1960. In essence, it’s a bigger single-coil, or, at least,
Please don’t get fooled by the Beginner Guitar name of our site. We review all kinds of musical gear, from interfaces and recording laptops to expensive electric guitars. Today’s article is listing the top 10 ukuleles you can buy right now. Our list goes from bucket-end budget all the way up to premium-sized models. Moreover,
Today’s guide is reviewing the Fender FA-135ce. It’s an entry-level dreadnought electro-acoustic guitar with a body and sound large enough for live presentations. Built with a concert-style modern design, the FA-135ce model is lovely for solo performances and lead guitar players. It packs its own electronic system, and it’s decent enough. That means you could
The $1,000 price mark is the perfect spot. Is where you’d find most top-tier options from most brands. These are the things you would never think to exist if you’ve always been a low and mid-level instrument user. That’s why I’m helping you find the best electric guitars under 1000 dollars. Overall, we’re searching for
Ever feel like your hands are too small for playing guitar? I feel you. As an average size woman, my hands are a far cry from the giant paws of Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison and Stevie Ray Vaughan. But with a few minor adjustments, I’ve managed to keep up with my big-handed counterparts. It’s all
We’ve reviewed many instruments here at Beginner Guitar HQ. Yet, we’ve never listed the best expensive electric guitars before. Making justice to our name, most of our listings include budget options and amateur alternatives. Beginner and intermediate musicians are not looking to waste their savings on a single piece of gear. It’s what we do.
The world of guitars is vast, and there are a lot of amazing brands out there! Whether you’re a new player or a seasoned pro, sometimes it can be difficult to evaluate which of the best guitar brands are great for your style, and which aren’t suited as well to your playing. While many brands
Changing the guitar strings is like putting oil on your car’s engine or like putting air on your tires. It brings back your guitar to life with the crispness and brightness a new set of guitar strings delivers. And when going live, even slight improvements will yield good results. Besides, I’m not even counting how
Today’s article is reviewing the famous Ibanez Talman TMB100 budget bass guitar for beginners. We’ve chosen an Ibanez bass or electric guitar on most of our top 10 charts, so I think it’s time to dedicate another review to this revered brand. We already choose the Talman TMB100 as one of the best bass guitars
Beginner Guitar HQ is helping you understand everything you need to know about the different types of electric guitars there are. We’re going to keep this as simple as possible: instead of deep and theoretical stuff, we’re going to explain everything we say with guitar examples and additional guitar reviews. Stay with us if you’re
Country music is one of the oldest genres of music to use the guitar. Many new players prefer to learn rock and roll guitar, classic rock guitar, or other styles like blues guitar and indie guitar. However, country music features plenty of great guitarists. Whether you’re a country music fan or just want to improve
Johnny Marr’s career has led him to places in bands like The Smiths, The Pretenders, Modest Mouse, The The, and The Cribs. Over the course of his four-decade career, he’s been called one of the greatest guitar players alive. Now, that has led to a signature guitar: the Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar. His melodic, riff-filled
Much has been said about Hofner basses in this site before. However, we’ve never reviewed a single model of this reputed brand. Alas, today’s article is reviewing the violin-like Hofner Ignition Bass Guitar, a unique instrument that looks and sounds like classic rock & roll. What we’ve got in our hands is a “viola” bass,
Today we’re reviewing the popular LTD-EC 1000 “Les Paul” type guitar. A quick look at this ax is enough to realize it’s made for metal. But, in classic ESP fashion, this is a metal guitar with a surprising amount of versatility. In particular, the LTD series of electric guitars is known to be a great
There are no doubts and no second guesses regarding Fender instrument quality. We’ve already reviewed some of its best bass guitars, like the Fender Precision Deluxe Special, as well as their top value electric guitars, like the Fender Player Strat or the Fender Modern Player Telecaster. We’ve also reviewed quite a lot of Squier instruments.
When you buy your first guitar, you’ll soon realize that the instrument itself is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether it’s extra strings, fretboard conditioner or audio interface equipment, there’s a never-ending pile of accessories you can add to your purchase. How can you tell the difference between what accessories you really need vs.
We’ve highlighted and praised Gibson’s little sister Epiphone. However, we’ve never fully reviewed an Epiphone electric guitar, so we thought we could change that by reviewing the Epiphone Les Paul Special II electric guitar for beginners. I’m writing this guide for the total beginner because I understand this is the kind of guitar first-timers are
The Japanese music industry has plenty of recognition thanks to names like Ibanez and Yamaha. Both brands have a similar philosophy regarding their musical gear as they consistently add advanced electronics and hardware to deliver top-value instruments that honestly compete with Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, and Squier. We’ve already reviewed the Yamaha NTX700 and found an
Here we review the best guitar pickups for metal. My top 11 pickups for metal include humbucker and single-coils as well. All of these items pair great with metal amps and metal distortion pedals. If you’re looking to build yourself a great guitar gear to jam along with Ghost and Alter Bridge tunes, you’d want
Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour is one of the most influential guitarists in the history of the instrument. Over four decades of work, he’s expanded the possibilities of the instrument and shaped the minds of thousands of young players. Whether you’re just starting to learn guitar or you’re a seasoned pro, you can learn a lot
Aside from the Gibson Les Paul and Fender Telecaster, there’s no electric guitar quite as iconic as the Fender Stratocaster. Ask your non-musical friends what image comes to mind when they picture an electric guitar––chances are, they’ll describe the solid-bodied, double cutaway-shaped and white pickguard-ed image of a Strat. Since 1954, the Stratocaster has been
Yamaha is a Japanese super corporation. They are widely known all over the world because of their musical instruments. Most of their guitars and bass guitars are suited for advanced musicians and players looking for the most professional features they can find. Many elite bass and guitar players have taken the Yamaha name high into
Today’s guide reviews the 10 best rock guitars you can buy right now. These are the options you need to try if you’re on a rock guitar hero path, and I’ll be sure to list models suiting all budgets. Likewise, we’re covering as much ground as we can in our best rock guitars selection. Some
A no-regrets budget metal guitar Common knowledge says Ibanez guitars are built for metal. Some models, like our recently reviewed Ibanez SR250 bass guitar, have an expanded versatility that goes beyond what the bell tolls. The Ibanez GRX20 electric guitar follows the same path but stays within reach of Hangar 666. The GRX20 is a
In the realm of guitar, there are certain players that rise through the charts to become iconic in their own right, these “Guitar Gods” are cause for much fascianation and imitation alike. Perhaps one of, if not the, most iconic Guitar God of all time is the guitarist for the band Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page.