There has been a shift in recent years with guitars made in Asia. Once thought synonymous with low quality and standards, manufacturers have stepped up their game, offering quality instruments for a decent price. Which ain’t a bad thing if you’ve been dreaming about owning a beautiful Gretsch guitar. Check out Kevin’s Gretsch G5220 Jet […]

Guitar time signatures For musicians, learning to understand the time signature is critical. This is true even if you don’t read music.  Why? Because music (at its most basic) is a series of notes arranged in time. A time signature tells us how to time those notes and helps explain the rhythm you play them […]

Best acoustic guitars under $500: a Yamaha acoustic guitar Today there is a huge range of great-quality but reasonably-priced acoustic guitars available to musicians. In fact, pound for pound, you’ll probably get more value for money from the best acoustic guitars under 500 dollars than you would for the best ones over 1,000 dollars. But […]

3,395 CAD at Steve’s Music 2,399 USD at Sweetwater Many of the guitars I’ve reviewed for Guitarist 101 are priced between the low and mid tiers. Plenty of guitars were both solid and affordable. I’m taking a bit of a turn for this second review of three guitars made for metal. When shopping for a […]

Beginner guitar chords are some of the easiest to learn Now you know how to read guitar chord charts we’re going to teach you the beginner guitar chords you’ll need to play your first full song.  The song you’re going to learn is Love Me Do By the Beatles. This is a great one to […]

The dreaded F chord is one of the hardest guitar chords for beginner guitar players. It appears in many guitar songs but can be quite tough to play. That’s why we felt it deserved an article of its own. We’ll take you through how to play F step by step and show you different ways […]

April 16, 2023January 22, 2022 by Richard Are you new to guitar? Maybe you’ve just picked up your old guitar and want to get started on some theory. In this article, we’ll cover how to play a major scale on guitar, with some valuable tips and tricks to help you expand your knowledge of music […]

Takamine is famous for producing electro-acoustic guitars that sound awesome plugged in. But the GD20 NS is a completely acoustic guitar with no electronics to speak of. Is it any good? Check out Kevin’s Takamine GD20 NS review to find out. Kevin performing his Takamine GD20 NS review at Steve’s Music Factor Rating 👀 Looks […]

Read about the Rode M3 condenser microphone before you buy and see if it’s for you. Rode M3 The Rode M3 is an excellent all-purpose microphone. But there are some uses it’s more suited to than others. Pros Cons Scores ✔️Great all purpose microphone ✔️Sounds best recording miked-up instruments and amps✔️Solid metal body and a 10 […]

Blackstar Amplification has announced an exciting upgrade to their popular ID:CORE V4 STEREO 10 practice amplifier, now featuring Bluetooth functionality. ID:CORE V4 STEREO 10 Bluetooth: Image courtesy of Blackstar This enhancement brings a significant boost in versatility, making it easier for guitarists to integrate wireless technology into their practice routines. The ID:CORE V4 STEREO 10 […]

549 CAD at Steve’s Music 399 USD at Guitar Center The Schecter brand has long been associated with metal music and players. It provides high-quality instruments that can take a beating, so much so that the notoriously picky (and for good reason) Glenn Fricker swears by the Schecter he keeps in the studio since it […]

Blackstar Amplification has announced an exciting upgrade to their popular ID:CORE V4 STEREO 10 practice amplifier, now featuring Bluetooth functionality. This enhancement brings a significant boost in versatility, making it easier for guitarists to integrate wireless technology into their practice routines. The ID:CORE V4 STEREO 10 has been a favorite among musicians for its affordability […]

The Yamaha F325D is an inexpensive acoustic guitar that’s robust and playable but also doesn’t compromise too much on sound quality. Read our Yamaha F325D review to find out why it makes a great first guitar for kids or adults alike. Yamaha F325D Factor Rating 👀 Looks 3/5 🛠️ Build quality 4/5 😃 Playability 4/5 […]

Fender guitar Fender Play is a very polished platform with well-made lessons and some cool features. But it’s mainly aimed at beginners and experienced players may find it lacking. Looks great and is very professional Good selection of tools Great for beginners Not so good for more advanced players Some pointless tools Lessons: 7/10 Quality: […]