Gigging with an acoustic guitar can be a headache if you don’t have an acoustic guitar pickup, and if you don’t get the most appropriate pickup type for you you’re never going to get the tone you want. So rather than go in blind, check out our recommendations!

Hearing yourself well can often spell the difference between mediocre and inspiring performances. In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) let you do just that, by feeding personalized sound directly to your ears while blocking out ambient sounds on stage or in rehearsal.

We analyzed a record number of guitarist ratings and reviews, more than 183k sources, to bring you the highest rated sets of guitar strings in five standard gauge ranges.

A volume pedal is a must-have piece of gear for many guitarists, facilitating control over gain as well as advanced techniques like volume swells. However, because there are so many options available it can be hard to figure out the best volume pedal for a given situation.

With so many low quality mics in the entry-level market, getting a good one can be quite daunting. To help you out, we present you with the highest rated microphones that you can buy for under $50.

When it comes to acoustic guitars, a huge part of your tone is decided by the strings you use. The gauge, the material they’re made from, and their design can all transform your tone; for better or worse. Make the most out of your instrument, equip it with the best sounding acoustic guitar strings - check out our recommendations!

Here are the highest rated Passive PA Speakers in both the sub $500 and sub $1000 price brackets. Note that you need a power amplifier or a powered mixing console to drive them as they do not contain their own amplifier.

This is different to our other guitar amp guides in that we have first determined which brands have the highest average ratings via analysis of more than 90,000 review and rating sources, then we have selected the highest rated amp by each brand.

Loopers have become indispensable thanks to their ability to create clones which you can use as virtual backup musicians and singers. Here we look at what the market considers as the best loopers, divided into three categories: Compact, Multiswitch and Tabletop.

This guide is designed to help anyone who wants to get some new microphone stands either for stage or studio use.

Audio engineer Raphael Pulgar presents the highest rated compressors for 500 series racks, both single channel and stereo bus compressors, along with detailed advice to help you select the best one for your recording setup.

You can get some surprisingly good studio headphones for less than $100 these days, however not all types of headphones are available in this price range so we explain what the different types of headphones are and provide you with the information you need to get the best option for your situation.

We intend this guide for adults, including both musicians and non-musicians, who want to buy a drum set for children around 10 years old or younger. If the intended recipient is much older than that, or if they're tall for their age, then please refer to our guide for full-sized beginner drum sets.

Guitar pickups impact your sound in a big way, and this is why many who are looking to improve their tone choose to replace their pickups. Here are the highest rated pickups in the low to mid tier price ranges including all major types & sizes within the stated price limits.

If you're a DJ, musician or live sound engineer, the first thing you will have noticed when looking for professional PA subwoofers is that the market is extremely crowded with an almost endless number of options - this guide will help you decide which subwoofer to get by showing you the highest rated ones currently available.

Overdrive is an incredibly useful effect. To start with, it gives you familiar rock guitar tones, from subtle grit to crunch. On more complex setups, it can be used to add girth to an already distorted sound, and give your lead the cutting boost to take your solos to the next level. If you’re looking for the best overdrive pedals, check out our recommendations!

A battery powered guitar amp gives you the freedom to play on the go. Inspiration can also hit you from the most unexpected of times so an amp that is ready to play anywhere is a valuable tool for guitarists. Instead of taking time to fire up your entire rig just to get ideas down, a portable battery powered guitar amp can get you going right away.

Channel strips provide a high degree of control over the input signal before it reaches your audio interface by providing better mic preamps and more control such as compressor / limiters to prevent exceeding the input limits on your interface.

Stand alone mic preamps are a great way to enhance the quality and character of your microphone recordings as well as allowing you to add extra mic enabled channels to audio interfaces. Ordinary preamps built into audio interfaces and mixing desks are usually solid performers but dedicated preamps can add that extra warmth and clarity.

Keyboard amplifiers tend to be quite versatile with many able to amplify a wide range of input sources from keyboards and synths to vocals, electronic drums, acoustic guitars, bass, drum machines and backing machines. Some of the multi-channel options can even be used as small PA systems ideal for practice sessions or performing in small venues.

This guide is primarily meant to help beginner guitarists to get a good affordable guitar. And it is also a good resource for experienced players who want a cheap guitar to modify and experiment with.

For this March 2022 Edition we short-listed 97 guitars available from major online American retailers and examined more than 25,100 rating and review sources in order to find the highest rated acoustics to recommend.

49 Key controllers hit the sweet spot for many musicians and music producers. They are much more of a playable instrument than their smaller 25-Key siblings, yet still compact enough to be reasonably portable and not take up too much valuable space in a home recording studio.

56 combo bass amps rated for this guide covering all of the information that you’ll need in order to make an informed purchase, and we’ve recommended some great amps in case you don’t feel like scrolling through scores of different options trying to figure out which one will work best for your situation.

A guitar rig is only as strong as its weakest link, so it pays to get the right patch cables and/or couplers for the job. Here we present you with what the market considers to be the best, covering a variety of price ranges and bundles, along with advice to help you get the best for your rig.

Whether you're a pianist looking for something in the MIDI controller arena, or you're looking for a DAW controller and want a full sized keybed, this updated guide has you covered.

This focuses on the best mics for live vocals as opposed to ones for speaking conferences or making announcements over PA systems. All these mics are great for vocals, but some can also be used on instruments, and some are also handy studio mics.

Nylon has been the material of choice for flamenco, classical, and many fingerstyle guitarists for decades. First introduced as an alternative to the gut strings used prior to the material’s introduction, nylon has proven itself to be a best option due to its affordability and resilience.

A reality of being a guitarist is that you can’t always play at full volume. If you live with other people, especially in an apartment complex, you have to keep your volume at a reasonable level. Thankfully, there’s a solution available: practice amps.

Here are the highest rated combo modeling amps for guitar, divided into four price brackets to help you find one that suits your budget.

Guitar amplifiers don't just amplify sound, they also shape and color the sound. This is especially true for tube amps, and is the reason why amps are considered as vital to tone as guitars themselves. Here we feature the best tube amps, combo and heads, that fit the average guitarist's budget.

Anyone who has ever gigged with an acoustic guitar can tell you what a lifesaver acoustic pickups are. The days where guitarists had to carefully position their instrument in front of a microphone are long gone, because acoustic guitars have become plug and play instruments.

There's just no replacing the feel and sound of acoustic pianos, but they are not always practical when considering real world space and budget restrictions. This is where we come in with our feature on the Best Digital Piano keyboards, featuring market favorites up to $1000 that have impressed students and professional pianists alike.

Finding the best bass guitar strings can be a challenge. With so many different materials and approaches to bass string design, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which is going to work the best for you and your style of playing.

Want something you can crank at home without annoying the neighbors? Maybe a small gig or two in the future? Need saturated dirty tones for recording? Small, Low Watt Tube Amps are the perfect solution for all these needs.

A capo is a must-have accessory for any guitarist. The ability to play different chords in a variety of positions (for example, playing a C chord with a capo on the second fret makes it a D chord) is an invaluable asset to any vocalist or finger-style musician.

When budget is limited, it is best to find gear that squeezes the most value for your money. This applies to condenser mics in the sub $100 price range, where you're mostly looking for an all-in-one budget friendly mic. This guide serves that demand, featuring condenser microphones that have proven themselves to be valuable additions to home studios.

The acoustic guitar has long been, and continues to be, the most accessible music instrument available. Having the right mic to record this prolific instrument is critical to a good recording setup for any musician or studio.

MIDI controllers have been fundamental tools for producing music due to their versatility and portability. They provide control over a computer software sequencers and virtual synthesizers, as well as external sound modules. This guide covers highly rated affordable keyboard controllers, with options ranging from 25 to 49 keys.

Whether you play Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic-Electric Guitar, Bass or Ukulele we've got you covered when it comes to choosing your next tuner. In fact we analyzed over 100,000 owner and user opinions to bring you what we believe is the most comprehensive guitar tuner guide currently available.

Closed headphones are essential for any recording setup to prevent spill into live microphones while tracking. These recommended headphones are all circumaural and are designed specifically for use in recording rather than for standard consumer applications.

A great pair of headphones can make all the difference in producing quality studio recordings and overall listening satisfaction. This goes especially for home recording environments where proper acoustically treated rooms are less common, often limiting the accuracy of open air speaker systems.

When you need to work on your recorded music you need to hear exactly how it sounds, warts and all. Multimedia and hi-fi speakers are not suitable for the task because they color the sound. This is where good studio monitors come in...

Parlor guitars offer a smaller, lighter and more comfortable alternative to regular-size acoustics. More importantly, they have a distinct sound that harks back to Victorian era guitars that were played in parlor rooms, and affordable "blues box" mail-order guitars from the early 1900s.

The great thing about 25 key MIDI controllers is their portability and the small amount of space they take up. They're not designed to replace a full size keyboard, but rather to offer convenience - that said some of the higher-end options are packed with an impressive range of features.

Unlike standard MIDI keyboards, a portable keyboard has built-in speakers so you can play anytime without having to plug in additional equipment. The keyboards included in this guide can also run on batteries so you can play them anywhere.

Over a century after it was first introduced, the Condenser Mic continues to be an indispensable tool for music production. This guide focuses on the highest rated large and small diaphragm mics that cover all the tasks studio condensers are used for.

For the modern electronic musician, performing goes beyond playing keyboard MIDI controllers and tweaking knobs. Songs arranged in the studio can now be performed and altered live. Sounds, samples or even entire sections of music can be triggered with the help of dedicated MIDI pad controllers assigned to specific functions in a DAW.

If you have an acoustic guitar with pickups you need a specialized acoustic amp if you want to bring out the natural tone of your instrument. These amps aim to be transparent so they are also good at amplifying vocals - this means that many of these amps are also designed to work well as small PA systems.

Solid state amplifiers offer a lot of advantages and there are a ton that sound amazing. They’re (generally) cheaper, more durable, don’t have to warm up/cool down, and are significantly easier to transport than most tube amps.

If you're looking for an amplifier to use with your electronic drum set, or if you're an acoustic drummer looking for a stage drum monitor, then this guide will help you decide which one is best for your situation.

From subtle reverb and compression, to robotic and alien sounds, vocal effects let you improve, tweak and even transform your voice. At first, this was achieved through post processing, but technology has made it possible for on-the-spot effects application and adjustments while performing - even realtime pitch correction is now possible...

If you go to many of the major online retailers you'll find well over 100 options priced under $1,000 listed in their drum set categories which can be very confusing if you're just starting out. This guide simplifies the process of buying a beginner drum set and tells you what you need to know to avoid some of the pitfalls in buying drum kits online.

The soprano ukulele is the smallest standard size and it produces the trademark bright ukulele sounds we've come to know and love. If you're looking for the classic, traditional ukulele tone then this is the size you are looking for. Coming in at about the same size is the lesser known "pineapple" ukulele.

Your playing experience is decided just as much by your accessories as it is by your actual instrument, and there’s no better example of this than drum thrones. If you’re looking for the best drum throne, check out our recommendations!

Here we look at the best travel guitars on the market today, covering both acoustic and electric models, all of which are smaller and lighter to make your journey more comfortable.

In addition to keeping your stompboxes organized, pedalboards address clutter, storage, gear protection and transport needs. Here we take look at which boards are considered the best by users and experts, including those with and without a built-in power supply.

This year we expanded the scope of this guide to include both hybrid and standard electronic kits across all price ranges. Our recommendations are separated into 4 price brackets to help you choose the best one that fits within your budget.

The sub $500 price range is the sweet spot where you can find many guitar amps with good value and overall quality. Here we look at the best of these market leading combo, head and pedal board amplifiers, to help you in your pursuit of great guitar tone and functionality.

Building your very own personalized guitar has never been this easy, thanks to DIY (Do-It-Yourself) guitar kits. Here we look at what the market considers to be the best of them, covering a good variety of guitar shapes and styles.