Maybe you’re an in-the-box producer looking to branch out into a bit of analog gear. Maybe you’re a hardware-only guy looking to add some beats to your production. Or maybe you own a wheat milling plant, and you were meant to search for a durum machine. If you fall in either of the top categories,
So you’ve just dropped a bunch of clean bars, recorded them using your best gear, and you’re ready to put the whole track together. But there’s something wrong: Your vocal tracks don’t seem to fit as well as you’d expect. It’s like, they’re in there, but they feel kind of separate from the rest of
Let’s be honest: Getting your head around the different drum stick sizes is a bit of a mission. This goes for novice and experienced drummers alike. I’ve been bashing the drums for a good 5+ years now, and I still find myself a little confused and overwhelmed when it’s time to pick up some new
I quite like the C#m guitar chord. Minor chords by nature typically sound sad or poignant, but I feel that C#m sounds hopeful at the same time. In fact, depending on the chord progression, I don’t find it sad sounding. As complicated as the name, C sharp minor, sounds, it’s not actually that complicated to
The F#m chord, pronounced F sharp minor, seems like an intimidating chord at first glance, especially if you’ve just mastered the more simply named major and minor chords. But believe it or not, chords with accidentals (# and ♭) can be played in a variety of ways. Some of these versions are actually quite simple
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,
We’re reviewing the Orange Crush 35rt guitar amplifier. We expect a big, bag, loud combo amplifier for rock and metal genres from the British amplifier manufacturer. For example, Orange’s Terror series of mini tube amplifier heads deserve a place at the top of any metal amplifier chart. Recently, the company has expanded its offer to
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,
Learning scales can be very overwhelming for beginners. Even at the intermediate levels knowing that so many types of scales exist can instill fear in the minds of guitarists. But according to me, learning a scale is not the hardest part. Using that scale to write melodies or solos or riffs is where the crux
We come with a shorter review than usual. The Vox amPlug is our main protagonist this time around. If you don’t know what this is, take a peek: The Vox amPlug is somehow a gimmick product with limited potential and extra marketing. However, it can be helpful for players looking for portable and cheap amplifying
Here, let me help you find the right guitar for your kids, as there’s no better way to learn music than learning how to play guitar. Keyboards might be the exception, but these are commonly pricier instruments. We’re covering expensive instruments as well. Nevertheless, our list is covering every price point. No matter the size
We’re reviewing the top 7 best phaser pedals for electric guitars. The models we list range from budget to premium models. Moreover, we’re covering a short butter’s guide, plus a guide on how to use these otherworldly stompboxes. Phaser pedals are modulation effects. It’s a distinctive effect for your guitar, although it’s a challenging sound
The Epiphone SG Special is the mid-level buster. Coming from Gibson’s subsidiary, we already know the basic formula of the electric guitar. It’s an affordable and yet valuable alternative to the coveted Gibson SG guitar, one of the best, if not the best, guitar for rock genres. I would say this is an entry-level guitar
A chord is a group of notes that are played simultaneously. These chords make an integral part of the songs. The chords make up one of the three integral parts of any music called Harmony, the other two being Melody and Rhythm. Any and all types of music contain these three components in various amounts
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
In this guide we present most popular guitar scales tabs you can use as inspiration. Scales are basically a sequence of notes that sound good together. Notes in a scale are arranged in order of their fundamental frequencies. Any scale begins with the root note which is also after which the scale is named. For
Once again, we’re reviewing a Yamaha acoustic guitar. Coming from the one brand you can blindly trust at any price level, we expect the Yamaha APXT2 to be quite special. This is a small guitar, though. Its body is ¾ the size of a regular dreadnought guitar. That means the APXT2 model is a mini
Most portable amps sit in an odd category between toys and hands-on solutions for solo performers. You would be right to think these models can’t pack anything too different from their competitors. So, is the Pignose amplifier worth it above, say, Marshall portable amps? Here’s the deal: the Pignose amp looks radically different from any
Today, we bring you a list reviewing the top acoustic bass guitars you can buy right now. We’re covering various price levels for your convenience. That means we’re considering entry-level acoustic bass guitars to start our list, and then climb towards top-tier models. Acoustic bass guitars are hollow wooden instruments. They are larger than dreadnought
Premiering a couple of years ago, the Gretsch G5420t Electromatic is one of the most popular hollow-body guitars. It’s a top-tier offering from a brand that’s growing continuously, and we’re here to see how it amasses such a good reputation and, at the same time, why it’s not as popular as other guitars of its
At Beginner Guitar HQ, it’s our mission to help you become a better guitar player. Part of becoming a better player is learning scales –– the essential building blocks of great guitar licks, riffs and chord progressions. The pentatonic and major scales are usually the first ones you tackle as a beginner guitarist. After that,
Being a guitar player is fun and fulfilling. You have the complete power in your hands to create and express your true self. But sometimes it can be frustrating. There may be times when you cannot express yourself because of your technical underdevelopment. But in my opinion this is where the real fun begins. The
Vocal harmonizers are straightforward devices. They exist to enhance your singing, and while singing is fun, dubbing your voice with a pedal is even better. And that’s what we’re here to present: the best vocal harmonizers you can buy right now. These processors unlock lots of potentials, and some of them present EQ and loop
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
Can a huge solid-state amplifier be any good? Moreover, can a fairly-priced Fender guitar amplifier be, at least, decent? That’s what we’re going to find out on our Fender Champion 100 review. The Fender Champion 100 is known as a great pick for people looking for a cheap, versatile, and reliable amplifier. It’s a modeling
Can you see the price of this guitar? It is incredibly cheap, and also incredibly simple. Needless to say, we ought to keep our Fender FA-100 review short and sweet. If you can’t find it available on the link below, fret not. The Fender FA-100 is an incredibly popular guitar, so it becomes unavailable fairly
One of the most exciting parts of learning electric guitar is experimenting with different effects. Whether it’s adding rockabilly-style delay vs. metal-friendly distortion, effects are the cornerstones of many music genres. Flanger and phaser are two of the most popular effects from the psychedelic era –– and beyond. They’re both characterized by swirling, sweeping noises.
Choosing a new microphone for your home studio is a big deal. Not only is it a high-stakes game (because you want to make sure you choose a mic that knocks recordings out of the park), the number of choices available is paralyzing. Wisely, you’ve settled on a condenser microphone for their detailed top end
Takamine means business. Whenever you see a Takamine acoustic or electro-acoustic guitar, you know it’s a top-tier instrument. The Takamine EF341SC is no different. As part of the Pro Series, the guitar packs some of the best features the brand has to offer to professional performers and songwriters. The company has been making premium guitars
Today, we’re reviewing the MXL V67g condenser microphone. At first glance, the V67g is fancy-looking, even gorgeous. And yet, the price tag doesn’t seem right. Is it too good to be true? The Marshall Electronics’ subsidiary continues its dominance in the mid-level segment of audio devices. Although their products are affordable, we can consider MXL
Alternate tunings are some of the best ways to take your guitar playing to the next level. They can help you experiment with new chords and melodies that aren’t always possible in standard tuning. There are hundreds of alternate tunings out there. Some, like Drop D, are widely used. Others are a bit more niche.
As a beginner guitar player, you probably started off by learning the major, (natural) minor and pentatonic scales. After all, these are the most common ones in the Western world. They’re easy to learn and can be transposed (moved up or down) to any key. They’re also used in most genres of guitar music. But
Today, we’re reviewing the ESP F-104 model, an active bass guitar of the budget-friendly LTD series. It’s an entry-level instrument that aims to deliver a professional experience to intermediate and beginner bass players. ESP is a Japanese musical instrument company. They produce bass guitar and electric guitars in Japan, as well as in Burbank, California
So you’re setting up a new drum kit, whether for yourself or for your home studio, and you’re stuck. You’ve got some nice cymbals and a full drum kit, but you’re missing that important element: the kick pedal. Or maybe you’ve already got an old single bass pedal, but you’re looking to upgrade to a
So, you’ve got yourself a nice microphone, and you’re ready to get started recording at home. Problem is, you’re hearing a lot of weird P and B sounds in all of your recordings. Did you get a bung mic? Is it something to do with your audio interface? Or, maybe, there’s something wrong with the
You’ve been playing guitar for a while now. You know your basic chords and scales. You’ve even memorized a few songs to whip out at parties. But now you’re looking for a new challenge. In this case, it might be time to unlock some alternate tunings. Most popular guitar songs are written in standard tuning.
So you’ve decided to start a YouTube channel. Congrats! Or perhaps you’re already running one, but you’re looking to take things up a notch and upgrade your audio production level. Whatever the case, you’re going to need a decent mic for YouTube. Scratch that. You’re going to need the best microphone for YouTube. Why settle
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),
Choosing a new microphone is often a pretty tough decision. This is especially true if you’re new to the audio recording game, but even seasoned pros sometimes struggle to decide. The problem is, there are just way too many microphone choices these days. Even with something as specific as a USB mic (which are far
Putting together a home studio is no small feat. There’s a lot of gear to choose; from studio monitors to microphones to acoustic treatment, right down the engineer’s chair. In the modern production studio, one of the most important pieces of the puzzle is the MIDI controller. These handy little devices open up a world
Mic placement, vocal technique, and acoustic treatment are only part of the recipe for creating a modern, professional vocal sound. Though the general goal is to capture the best take during recording (and not to ‘fix it in the mix’), it is true that most sound engineers actually apply a significant amount of post-processing to
The ukulele word is fun and often surprising. While there are not as many options as you’d see on the acoustic guitar market, there’s still plenty to try out. For that reason, we’re here to share the best baritone ukuleles we could find right now. We already created a guide showcasing the best ukuleles. This
Kramer Guitars is the lesser-known Gibson subsidiary. They create electric guitar and basses, and although their name doesn’t harness the greatest popularity, the Kramer Baretta Special has a well-deserved cult following. They began their operations in the 1970s and made themselves different by using aluminum or wooden necks on their guitars and basses. Moreover, Kramer
Today’s article is reviewing the Ibanez V70ce, a budget-level acoustic-guitar by one of the best-value guitar brands in the world. The Japanese instrument maker has a stellar reputation for highly advanced electronics and forward-thinking ideas. They introduce their proprietary tech on most of their models, from low-tier guitars to their shiniest Prestige line. Their impact
Today’s article is reviewing the Washburn Rover, a parlor travel guitar featuring an eye-catching and rather unexpected design. It’s also a budget offering that, despite its shorter body, actually has a fully-sized fingerboard for classical acoustic guitar players. Washburn is a medium-sized company and a medium-sized name in the musical instrument industry. Their offers revolve
MXL is a Marshall Electronics’ brand. It currently leads the pro audio gears and, in particular, the microphone segment. Today, we bring the MXL 770, one of the most popular condenser microphones in existence. Coming from their California headquarters, the MXL is an entry-level condenser microphone suited for home studios, podcast applications, voice recording, and
Avenged Sevenfold is working on a new studio album as we speak. The metal band says it’s “70 percent done.” While we wait for their next head-banger, we take the opportunity to talk about Synyster Gates’ guitar gear. On an Instagram Live video, the Huntington Beach band showcased their drummer, Brooks Wackerman, recording a song
Today’s article is doing something different than we normally do. We’re reviewing the OU5 Ukulele by Oscar Schmidt. In terms of ukulele prices, I’d say the OU5 is a mid-range model. Coming from a brand that specializes in hollow, semi-hollow, and acoustic guitars, we expect fair results. Also, the Oscar Schmidt OU5 ukulele is quite
Today, we’re reviewing the ATR2500 condenser microphone from Audio-Technica. We’ve reviewed the brand before to discover some of the best musical gear for your studio. The Audio-Technica Corporation comes from Japan. Their designs feature top-of-the-line electronics, flawless quality control, and advanced audio systems. Currently, they produce a wide array of professional audio gear, which includes