The humble parlor guitar continues to be a popular portable instrument, even with so many modern alternatives. The Gretsch G9500 is a great example of its staying power in the market, with its classic design that reproduces the vibe and feel of old Gretsch Rex guitars from the '30s. More importantly, it comes with a compact form factor that makes it an ideal portable instrument, or a grab-and-go couch guitar.

The Vox VX50KB breaks with keyboard amp tradition and instead of trying to faithfully reproduce the input signal, it actually adds warmth with it's use of old vacuum tube technology which is usually found mostly on guitar amps these days.

It provides independent volume control over all 3 channels, however the 3-band EQ applies to the master output so you can't EQ channels independently.

Pedalboard space is an ever dwindling resource for many guitarists, prompting many manufacturers to produce compact versions of their popular pedals. The TC Electronic Polytune 2 Mini is one such pedal, a compact version of the Polytune 2, with no battery power option.

Like its bigger sibling, this pedal allows for polyphonic (multi-note) tuning, in addition to conventional chromatic tuning. It also features a Stroboscopic mode that allows for even more tuning accuracy, down to ±0.1 cent.

IK Multimedia's iRig Pads is a portable 16-pad MIDI controller designed for iOS devices, as well as Mac and PC.

It allows you to easily set up and connect with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with its included Lightning cable.

Its small and lightweight build makes it easy to slip in your bag and carry around. Despite it being small, it has the essential controls for sequencing - two knobs, two push buttons, one slider and one pushbutton rotary encoder.

The LPD8 is a slim USB pad controller that's light-weight and small enough fit in your laptop bag or backpack.

The 8 backlit pads have a similar feel to Akai Professional’s MPC line - after all they basically invented the pad controller concept.

The LPD8 is also USB class compliant so it is plug and play with different versions of Mac and PC devices, and compatible with most DAWs.

The Yamaha P-255 is a digital stage piano with full-weighted and graded hammer action keys that are made of synthetic ivory.

It has a built-in Pure CF Sound Engine that produces Yamaha's piano voices, such as the CFIIIS concert grand piano.

It also has built-in rhythm patterns for sequencing drums and percussion tracks, which makes it suitable as an accompaniment for live solo/duo type performers.

The Blackstar HT-1R is a compact tube amp that's designed to produce genuine cranked tube tones at lower volumes. This is the same as the lower priced Blackstar HT-1, with the only difference being that the HT-1R includes reverb while the HT-1 does not.

This is made possible with a 1 Watt amplifier circuit that houses an ECC83 preamp tube, which is essentially a 12AX7 just named differently by Europeans, and a ECC82 poweramp tube - also called a 12AU7.

The SG (Solid Guitar) was originally meant to be a re-design of the Gibson Les Paul and Gibson gave it the same name. Les Paul wasn't involved in the redesign and asked that his name be removed and so Gibson obliged and renamed it the SG.

The new design was meant to boost sales because the original was fading in the market, and it worked with more than 6,000 units sold during the first 3 years after the 1961 launch - more than 3 times the number of the original Les Paul Standards sold from 1958 to 1960.

Les Paul created an early solid-body electric guitar in his spare time after work at the Epiphone factory in the early 1940's famously known as "The Log". It is believed that this was the first solidbody 'Spanish guitar' every built. He went on to develop the idea further until he took it to managers at Gibson sometime in 1945 or 1946 who immediately...
...did nothing.

The Audio-Technica ATR2100 is a dynamic handheld microphone with both XLR and USB connectivity.

The Fifine K669 is a USB condenser microphone that comes with an adjustable tripod desk stand and a 6 ft. long USB cable.

First launched in 1987, the Ibanez Steve Vai Signature Jem continues to be one of the most popular and instantly recognizable signature guitars in the world, so much so that it has grown into a line of guitars in itself. And the JemJR serves as its expansion into the mid-tier, following after the design of the original white Jem, with the same double cutaway mahogany body, monkey grip, lion's claw trem cavity, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard with "tree of life" inlay - only this one uses more cost effective materials and production.

From a repair shop, Schecter grew to be a parts manufacturer that supplied guitar companies like Gibson and Fender. It didn't take them long to start producing their own guitars, some which ended up in the hands of professionals like Ritchie Blackmore, Chris Poland, Jeff Loomis and more. While ownership has changed (now owned by the same parent company that owns ESP guitars), the company didn't stray from what made them popular - modded versions of classic guitar designs.

The Jaguar is one of those guitars that didn't do well while it was originally in production, but became much more in demand afterwards - thanks to guitarists like Kurt Cobain, John Frusciante, Johnny Marr and more.

These days, a vintage Fender Jaguar will cost you many times the original price, so having an affordable option like the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar was a welcome addition to the market.

This was the highest rated 5-piece junior drum set back when we thoroughly examined the category in April 2018, however the Ludwig LJR106 was a very close second.

While they are more popularly known for their guitar effects pedals, Boss also has a number of drum machines in their production line. One of the highest rated ones that they offer is the DR-880 DR. Rhythm, which combines traditional drum machine features with modern sequencing.

What's interesting about this drum machine is its easy to use interface, the velocity sensitive pads are prominently placed and well spaced for convenient manual drumming, or you can simply trigger any of the 1000 patterns that are pre-loaded into the unit.

The XR20 is a portable beat production tool that comes loaded with 700 pre-loaded sound samples of drums and percussion instruments, as well as synths and bass.

All of these samples are triggered by the unit's 12 backlit pads, which allow for real-time creation of beats and groove.

There are also a number of essential effects available, including EQ, compression and reverb.

While other processors cater to instruments like guitars, the Roland VT-3 does not worry about any of that, as it focuses all of its resources to vocal sound quality and effects.

Another important distinction is its tabletop profile, which is designed to complement the rigs of DJs and sound engineers.

Still In case you want hands-free control of bypassing/engaging the effect, you can plug in a standard footswitch pedal.

Gibson acquired the Tobias brand which I think was to get their hands on these sleek, ergonomic and boutique quality bass designs. Being one of Gibson's sub-brands, Epiphone was a willing beneficiary, releasing affordable production line versions of the original Tobias bass design.

The Toby Deluxe IV resulted from this joint venture, carrying over the same asymmetrical neck and body shape that make it look more expensive that it actually is, and comfortable to play.

The Affinity Series is Squier's entry level line of instruments, allowing up and coming musicians to own affordable versions of Fender's popular instruments.

This particular model follows after the Precision bass, which was first released way back in 1951, albeit in a more cost effective build.

It's impressive how the old Precision bass design still rates highly among today's players considering its age, it still is one of the most copied and best selling bass guitars in the world.

Marshall is easily one of the most recognizable amplifier brands today, used by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, Randy Rhodes and many other iconic guitarists. So it's not surprising at all to find them rating so highly in the entry level, and they did so by embracing digital sound processing while retaining their analog tonality. It may not have as many extras as other amps in its category, but it carries enough to make practice and even small venue gigging interesting.

Behringer can go against the competition by producing quality gear that's ridiculously affordable, and this time they did it with the V-Tone Bass Driver BDI-21.

This small stompbox is packed with essential preamp and DI box features, but what makes it special is that you can get it for a mere fraction of the cost of other similarly spec'ed units.

Even with its compact size, it gives you all the essential controls for customizing your sound, including multiple knobs for tweaking the EQ (Treble, Bass and Presence).

The SansAmp Character VT Bass V2 offers the same voice changing feature as the bigger VT Bass Deluxe, but in a more compact form.

By turning the character knob, this pedal emulates the sound of many different bass amps, be it classic tube driven or modern clean.

The SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI (PBDI) is meant for players who need to change their sound between songs or even mid-song.

It retains SansAmp's well received all-analog preamp circuitry, and adds a digital component to manage the controls, so you can conveniently store and recall settings in real time. This means that you get the best of both worlds, analog sound quality and digital preset switching, all in a single package.

CAD Audio is known for offering robust microphones at a low-cost.

The PRO-7 from CAD Audio contains these microphones: one K212, three TM211s, one SN210, and 2 CM217s.

The KM212 is a large diaphragm microphone that is designed for kick drums, bass guitar cabinets, and other instruments with low frequency response. It features good transient response with a wide frequency range for precise bass clarity and detail.

The TM211s are dynamic mics designed for toms with attached drum mount clips.

The Apogee Quarter is a USB audio interface specifically designed for Mac and iOS devices, featuring four analog combo XLR/TRS inputs, four Apogee preamps, a Lightpipe input for expanding to 12 inputs, and it has a versatile set of eight output ports.

Still, the main selling point of this interface is its premium quality AD/DA conversion at 24-bit/192kHz, which compliments Apple's popular smartphones, tablets and computers really well.

The JamMan Express XT is DigiTech's response to the compact looper hype, with more recording time, stereo input/output and better LED monitoring.

Like other small loopers, it has a single footswitch that lets you record, play, overdub, undo and redo a single loop.

But it stands out from the crowd with its longer 10 minute total looping time, and dedicated LED lights that let you know whether you're recording, overdubbing or on playback.

The Behringer AT108 is an affordable and compact acoustic amp with 2 channels and a dedicated XLR input. This means that this small amp works like a small PA system where you can amplify both your guitar and microphone. With its 15W power rating, you can't expect much volume from the amp, but it has more than enough for solo practice and for acoustic jams.

As expected, features are streamlined to keep the cost down, but it does have a line input jack for playing along with your favorite tracks, and there's also a headphones out for quiet practice.

AER has been one of the dominant brands in high-end acoustic guitar amps for several years and the 40-Watt Alpha is their popular entry level amp.

Tommy Emmanuel is one of the most notable artists who uses AER acoustic amps, albeit with their much more expensive Domino 3.

Although you can plug both your guitar and mic into it, it's less useful as a small PA than many other options because it only has 1 channel meaning your effects loop is applied to both inputs. It does however provide 24V phantom power on the XLR input.

The Rode NT1-A-MP (the “MP” stands for matched pair, so it’s not a different model from the NT1-A) is commonly regarded as one of the quietest studio microphones available that’s still realistically priced for the average person. Low ambient noise is important in recording, because if you’re mic is too noisy it can result in a messy recording.

The Joemeek threeQ preamp is generally well liked by most reviewers who report it generates very little noise. It has been positively mentioned when used with condenser, dynamic, and even ribbon mics - whether using phantom power or not.

The EQ is generally well received and reported as being easy to use.

The compression with its fixed 5:1 ratio really tends to divide opinions. It colors the sound and is quite noticeable when driven hard, but much less so at low levels.

This multi-purpose preamp/DI Box from Tech 21's popular SansAmp line is dedicated to acoustic instruments.

Like the their popular bass preamp box, the SansAmp Para Driver comes with a preamp complete with tone shaping elements, the main difference being this one is voiced to complement the sound of acoustic instruments.

This preamp pedal is known for adding analog tube like warmth that fattens up the usual thin and quacky sound of piezo-pickups.

Being the most popular supplier of built-in electronics for acoustic guitar manufacturers, Fishman knows how to make acoustic guitars sound good. As such, it is only natural for them to come up with a quality acoustic preamp like the Platinum Pro E, an analog Class A preamp with 5-band EQ, phase control, notch filtering and compression.

It has two footswitches, first of which is a boost switch for upping your volume on specific song parts, while the other one lets you engage the unit's built-in chromatic digital tuner,

The Radial StageBug SB-1 DI Box is meant for stage instruments that use long cables, including acoustic guitar, bass and even keyboards.

It has a compact and lightweight profile that is easy to carry around, and since it runs on 48V phantom power, you don't need to worry about batteries or wall warts.

At the core of his DI Box is an active circuit that converts your signal from high to low impedance, it also balances and buffers the signal to drive long cables straight to PA.

Fractal Audio is a relatively small company that competes directly with the world's biggest amp modeling and effects manufacturers. They built their reputation on the quality of their premium priced guitar processor called AxeFX, but has since expanded into relatively more affordable territory with the AX8 and FX8.

The FX8 has a great balance of quality, complexity and practicality and is a true multi-effects "only" unit, so there's no amp modeling feature to get hung up on.

With its ability to run up to 8 effects simultaneously, the DigiTech RP360 XP gives you more flexibility in a compact form factor without compromising exterior durability and aesthetics. It also comes with a lot of nifty extras which include a 40-second looper, 60 rhythm tracks and a built-in chromatic tuner.

This was Roland's flagship stereo keyboard amp, before being superseded, producing 320 watts total power and sporting 5 stereo input channels.

It comes with built in stereo DSP effects which apart from the regular reverb, delay chorus etc., also includes a 'rotary' stereo effect which emulates a Leslie rotary speaker system.

Like the KC-550, it also comes with a stereo I/O link for chaining multiple amps together.

It also comes with removable casters making easy to move around.

This is a 4 channel amp with volume control on each channel and a master 2-band EQ. It has an XLR input for dynamic microphones and a stereo RCA Auxiliary input.

Like all the Roland KC series amps it has an output for a subwoofer if you want to beef up the bottom end.

It is used by keyboardists as a practice and performance amp and also as a stage monitor. It is also used by musicians of all types as an amp and a personal PA system - including acoustic guitarists and electronic drummers.

As the name implies, the VHT Special 6 Hand-Wired is an affordable tube amp with old school point-to-point wiring, ideal for those who want to customize their own amps.

But it's not just for tweakers and builders because its default setup is already good enough for most reviewers, as evidence by its high ratings.

This amp comes in a compact combo configuration with a 6W amplifier and a 10" speaker. It doesn't stray too far from familiar territory with its 12AX7 preamp tube and 6V6 output tube.

As you might expect, Native Instruments have designed this to be the best controller for their range of Komplete software, however it can be used with other software, plugins and DAWs as well and many virtual instruments via their NKS protocol - take a look at the video below for more information.

While most claims for innovation are mostly hyped, the Shure KSM8's dual diaphragm design moving coil capsule is a genuinely new technology that achieves a wider sweetspot and reduces the dreaded proximity effect. This allows for more freedom of movement and positioning, while keeping the sound quality consistent.

This complex capsule design is a bit more sensitive and prone to damage, but since this mic is developed by Shure, you can be sure of reliability and durability.

The AT2010 is a live vocal mic which has a design based on Audio-Technica's AT2020 studio mic and uses the same 16 mm low-mass diaphragm.

In fact this mic is rated more highly than its studio cousin and tops the rankings for sub-$100 live vocal microphones.

Used by big name artists such as Sheryl Crow, Sammy Hagar of Chickenfoot and System of a Down's Seri Tankjan just to name a few, the Shure SM7B continues to be one of the most in-demand and sought after vocal mics on the market today - both for recording and live performances.

Even the King of Pop Michael Jackson, who could have whatever microphone he wanted, recorded vocal parts of Thriller using the original SM7.

The Polara reverb pedal features an interesting mix of classic and modern reverb types, and some of the algorithms are based on staple studio gear from Lexicon.

This interesting combination makes it a viable pedal for both the minimalist and those who want to experiment with the reverb effect.

The Electro-Harmonix Cathedral is a versatile stereo reverb pedal, featuring 24-bit AD/DA conversion and true stereo input output compatibility.

It features 8 reverb algorithms, from old school reverb types like Hall, Room, Plate and Accu Spring, to modern algorithms that include Reverse, Grail Flerb, Grail Spring and Echo.

"Sterling by Music Man" is a sub-brand of Ernie Ball Music Man, tasked to manufacture affordable instruments that can compete in the entry level market. The SUB Ray4 is one of their standout instruments, a more affordable version of the original Music Man Stingray bass, the popular bass that pioneered the use of built-in active EQ controls on production line bass guitars.

Luther Vandross, Christ Martin (Coldplay) and Paul McCartney are just three of the many vocalists who have been seen using the AKG C414 on stage or in the studio. And rightly so because the AKG C414 is one of the most versatile in the market, with five polar patterns to choose from.

The Keystation 49 II showcases a light-weight build with velocity sensitive synth-action keys.

This controller has transport and directional buttons that allow you to control your DAW, as well as an assignable slider for volume controls.

In addition to being class complaint, it is also compatible with iOS devices which adds to its portability and convenience, ideal for those who use an iPad for sequencing music on the go.

The CME Xkey Air 25 is a portable 25-Key MIDI keyboard controller that does away with extra features, and focuses on playability and portability.

It is easily one of the most modern looking controllers in the market today, with its very slim and lightweight profile, which makes it easily stand out from the competition. Its thin profile makes it visually compatible with modern wireless computer keyboards, tablets and thin laptops. And like laptops, it comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that allows you to use it without having to drain the power of your mobile device.