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
When it comes to blues and blues rock, it’s impossible to ignore Stevie Ray Vaughan. A legendary guitar hero, made all the more mythical by his short time in the spotlight, he was famous for his raw edge and aggressive playing and sound as well as his on-stage appearance. Stevie Ray Vaughan rescued blues in
For beginner guitarists (and even experienced players), barre chords can feel like a major pain in the…hand. After all, they’re one of the trickiest voicings to master. Barre chords are a necessary evil. They can teach you how to play anything –– from a B Chord to a Cm to an E♭maj7 It may not
Let’s start by saying “blues” is a near-extinct musical genre. At least regarding commercial success. Various decades have passed since blues musicians have topped the charts or hit the radio. Why would you need the best blues amp, then? We know the answer. You’re looking for perfection, as you are a bluesman or a blueslady
We’ve reached the crown jewel of solid-state amplifiers. The Roland JC 120 is the definitive sound of the ’80s rock era. With maybe the best clean in the music industry, the “Jazz Chorus” guitar amp traveled across many stages. It’s part of the main gear for artists James Hetfield, John Frusciante, Andy Summer, Eddie Vedder,
When reviewing the best solid-state amps for electric guitar, we’ve always mentioned the ID: Core series. Now, we’ve got the smallest entry of the lineup, the Blackstar ID: Core 10 watts. Blackstar Amplification is a UK enterprise. Their amplifiers come with wide tonal ranges to help you “find the sound in your head.” In music-industry
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
As always, Yamaha is a top music instrument maker. They are not the definite high-end option out there. And yet, when it comes to electro-acoustic guitars, the Yamaha FG700sc model proves they can share the spotlight with brands like Martin, Gretsch, Fender, and Gibson. It’s also not an expensive model, even though the FG series
Behold, the mother of quality amp manufacturing: hand-wired valves. The VHT Special 6 is a hand-wired guitar amplifier series. In particular, you might be looking for the guitar head & cabinet; or the combo amplifier. We’re talking about both options in this article, as they share similar threads. In specific, we’re looking at hand-wired valve
The world of mini guitar amplifiers is not as rich as it could be. In essence, there’s not a huge market for portable amplifiers, so brands making these items tend to shine. That’s where the Danelectro Honeytone mini guitar amp comes into play. Its price tag should say enough. A quick glimpse at the device
Sooner or later, all new guitarists face the same dilemma when it comes to their strings. Maybe you’ve noticed some rust building up. Maybe they don’t stay in tune like they used to. Maybe they have a dull, dead sound. Or maybe they’re unravelling around your headstock. These are all telltale signs that it’s time
Gone are the days when your only options to learn guitar are to: Lug your gig bag to your local music studio every Thursday night or Listen to your favorite songs on repeat until you figure out the crazy solos. Online guitar lessons are the easy, affordable third option. Even before social distancing, they were
In 2008, an AOL executive named David Butler wanted to learn jazz guitar. But he couldn’t find any decent lessons in his area. So, he and his wife Patricia decided to build an online platform – where anyone could learn an instrument at their own pace and get personalized feedback. It may be a relative
The Yamaha APX500III is a hard guitar to come by, and I think it’s because of the name. “APX500III” -or APX500 3- is a handful, and it’s not catchy at all. At least not like, for example, the Yamaha NTX700. We’ve covered various Yamaha instruments to find the highest degrees of value, no matter the
Are you building a home studio? Then you need a good condenser microphone. We’re here to review the MXL 990 cardioid condenser mic. The item stands as one of the most popular options on online retailers due to its price tag vs. value proposition. Condenser mics are better at picking up extra detail, accuracy, and
For many steel-string acoustic and electric guitarists, guitar picks (also called plectrums) are must-have accessories. With a variety of materials, shapes, thicknesses, textures and flexibilities to choose from, you can find one for nearly every style of playing. As a beginner, chances are you were taught to play with a pick. This makes sense, because
Most guitar players start with a classical guitar. These instruments are easier to master, more affordable, and comfortable to carry around. That said, let’s not forget a crucial element of classical guitars, which is the strings. You must change the strings twice a year if you regularly play; or once a year if you’re a
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,
Resonator guitars are not very relevant currently. They are more of a legacy, a testament to the old blues. Still, there’s no other instrument that wails and mourns as much as a resonator guitar. It’s a specialized guitar made for blues, bluegrass, delta blues, and country music. They ship in a variety of tunings, bright
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,
When it comes to online guitar lessons, it’s hard to beat TrueFire in numbers alone. Launched in 1991 as an audio series, TrueFire is now a website with 40,000+ video lessons, 900+ courses and 600+ educators – including famous musicians like Steve Vai, Tommy Emmanuel, Andy Timmons and Robben Ford. With 500,000+ students across 200
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we want you to be able to approach music from just about every angle. While we have a lot of guides covering genres like metal and jazz, blues might be the ultimate entry-level guitar playing genre. It’s often simple, yet incredibly effective. One of its key elements is the blues scale. In this
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we want you to have the biggest grasp over the guitar as you possibly can. This includes everything from crafting the tone perfect for your needs, to learning to become a virtuosic performer. One of the most important things about learning guitar, is choosing your instruments. As such, we’ve provided you with a
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 at Beginner Guitar HQ have created many lists detailing top value acoustic guitars. We’ve also listed a couple of premium classical models if money is not a problem. Today’s article is putting everything in perspective with the top 6 best cheap acoustic guitars. Before we move forward to the actual list, though, we’ll need
When it comes to online guitar lessons, it’s hard to find two platforms more popular than JamPlay and GuitarTricks. GuitarTricks (GT) is the veteran website, with 11 000+ lessons and 3 million users. JamPlay (JP) is newer, established in 2007 vs. 1998. But it’s still experienced in delivering 7500+ lessons to 500,000 players across the
Whenever I ask new guitarists which online lessons they use and/or recommend, the one that comes up the most is JustinGuitar. Since 2003, Justin Sandercoe has been teaching guitarists of all levels on his website and YouTube channel. As of 2020, JustinGuitar has 1000+ lessons, 350,000+ users and 1.14 million+ subscribers. Not to mention endorsements
Overdrive is a key component to your guitar tone, and can be used in just about every genre on the planet. However, there are many players who get into guitar so they can do one thing: play metal. As such, we’ve combined a love for distortion with a love for the genre. In this important
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we aim to get your tone sounding as good as your guitar playing. Guitar pedals are typically thought of as a way to drastically alter the sound your guitar produces, but the essentials of a good quality base-sound is often overlooked. With a noise gate, you’ll have a crisp, clean and noiseless sound
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, it’s our mission to get your guitar tone sounding as good as your playing. There are a few steps to this, including choosing the right guitar and guitar amp, but once you’ve done that, you can start work on your pedalboard. The vibrato pedal is something that can add a really unique flair
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we want to keep you on top of everything available to you in the world of guitars, and music in general. You might think of acoustic guitars as a singular entity, but we want to be able to take you through all of the different types of acoustic guitars out there. Maybe you
As the first mainstream website for online lessons, Guitar Tricks has its share of bragging rights. 3 million+ users. 11000+ lessons. 1000+ songs. 33 instructors. All wrapped up in one platform. But it’s not 1998 anymore and there’s lots of newer sites to choose from. So, what sets Guitar Tricks apart? Let’s take a closer
Since 2007, JamPlay has been teaching guitar and bass to 500 000+ players around the world. And with over 100 teachers on their roster – including famous names like Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Mike Mushok (Staind), David Ellefson (Megadeth) and Lita Ford (The Runaways) – they offer a little bit of everything to everyone, from
While everybody loves to jam with their friends and play gigs to sold-out crowds, ultimately guitar players spend most of their time practicing on their own. And if you want to get the most out of your practice sessions, it’s important to have a dedicated guitar practice amp. Amps designed for playing loud, like big
Fuzz is one of the oldest and most popular effects in the guitar world. First introduced in the 1960s with Germanium units like the Fuzz Face, fuzz remains a standard effect across lots of genres. Whether you want to play garage rock, psychedelic, or even experimental noise rock, a great fuzz pedal should be indispensable
While dreadnoughts and orchestra acoustic guitars might be more popular nowadays, parlor guitars have produced some of the most famous acoustic guitar tones ever. They’re extremely popular among 12 bar blues, country, and folk artists — and their small size makes them great picks for musicians who want a guitar for recording, songwriting, and taking
We’ve all been there before. You start to notice that your faithful old ax isn’t quite as bright and cheerful as she usually is, and you’re finding it harder to slide up and down the neck. Sounds like you need a new set of electric guitar strings. Now, hopefully, yours aren’t to the point of
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.
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we’re constantly trying to figure out ways to teach our readers how to play guitar at the next level. Whether it’s through your guitar tone and timbre, your dexterity or the notes you have access too. Drop D is a common tuning system that many players will be familiar with, and it gives
Taylor is a highly-revered acoustic and acoustic-electric guitar maker. Their offerings are premium, expensive, and professional. The Baby Taylor, though, doesn’t belong on the brand’s higher-shelves. Instead, as the name suggests, this is a guitar suited for kids and home practice. Yet, the Baby Taylor is an incredibly popular guitar as it packs the kind
It’s time to build the home studio. Great. Right after we choose our home studio laptop, the next step is going for an audio interface. Enter the Behringer UMC1820 Audio Interface, a different kind of beast. In short, this is an affordable and well-built 8-input model. If you’re looking for an audio interface with plenty
Today’s article reviews the Bugera G5 Infinium Head Amp. The Infinium head is a bedroom amp with plenty of tricks on a simple case. The G5 packs the size and the weight for maximum convenience. More so, it favors budget musicians with an affordable price tag. Bugera is known for vintage aesthetics on their amps.
Today, we’re reviewing the Taylor 114e electro-acoustic guitar. We’ve discussed many acoustic guitars before here on Beginner Guitar HQ, but we’ve never reviewed a Taylor model. Taylor is highly considered as the best acoustic guitar manufacturer in the world, and its reputation is as reliable as the brand’s consistent quality. The Taylor 114e is an
At BeginnerGuitarHQ, we make sure you get a detailed and accurate grasp over every element of guitar playing. This includes some of the more complex, dissonant aspects of music theory which will enhance the way you play, write and improvise with your guitar. In this important guide, we’ll guide you through the use of the
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
When you first start learning how to play guitar, you’re usually told to keep your nails short. For many players, this isn’t a big deal. But what if you work as a manicurist? Or what if having nice hands is essential for your look? Does this mean that you should give up? Of course not!
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