You’re obviously here to find out more about the ESP LTD EC 256 to see if it may fit your needs as a guitar player. If you are not here for that, I don’t know what you are doing here!

If you want to get into the details quickly, check out the quick review below. To find out everything about the LTD EC 256, read on!

Guitar enthusiasts are always eager to learn about the guitars available on the market. Despite the busy schedule, they always find the time to browse through a variety of lists, do a little research, read or watch reviews about the guitar that piqued their interests.

Guitarists are really thorough when it comes to guitars and have to know every feature of it down to a T. Some people might think it is a lot of work but as a fellow guitar geek, I can relate to having to spend hours just studying details about guitars and not even regretting a thing about it!

To all those guitar fanatics out there, here is another one of those reviews to spend some of your precious time into.

Review of Esp LTD EC-256

Too lazy to read the full review? Here’s the quick summary!

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The ESP LTD EC-256 is a versatile guitar with great looks, comfort, and amazing sounds in this price range. This guitar is ideal for rock and metal players but if you are someone who loves playing various kinds of genres then you won’t be disappointed with this one.

The guitar is perfect for those who want to upgrade to intermediate level and also for advanced players. Buying this does sound like a great investment as you need not buy another guitar for a good period of time after purchasing this one.

Features

• Roasted Jatoba frets
• Humbucking pickups
• Excellent build and finish
• Mahogany neck
• Cheap

Let’s dive deeper into its details!

Talking About The ESP Brand- Is it any good?

‘ESP’ is the name of an electric guitar company and stands for ‘Electric Sound Products’. It is a Japanese guitar manufacturer based both in Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Hisatake Shibuya in 1975 opened a shop in Tokyo, which provided custom replacement parts for guitar, named Electric Sound Products. Then they started making guitars gradually. They were first introduced into the US in 1983 and began to provide locals with custom-made instruments between 1984 and 1985. ESP expanded their Signature Series as well as their standard product lines between 1990 and 1992. There are about 41 signature series guitars.

In 1995, the LTD series was introduced to produce ESP’s products of high quality at a reasonable and affordable price. Their quality has been the main reason for their continued demand other the years.

ESP not only makes guitars but also produces a wide variety of hardware parts like ESP Labs Pickups, Bass bridge or the ESP Flicker tremolo, sustainers, equalizers, etc. They were ranked among the fastest-growing companies in 2002 and they are continuously meeting the increasing demands of the players over the years without compromising their product quality while living up to their name.

Detailed Review of ESP LTD EC 256 Electric Guitar

Weight

The weight of this guitar is within 8-pound, which is an average weight for electric guitars. Therefore, it is not much of a hassle to carry it around during the practices and play for hours. Also, because of its balanced weight, your hands are less likely to feel sore after long hours of practice.

Build Quality

The ESP LTD EC-256 guitar costs under $500 but despite the lower range of price, you can rest assured that no compromise has been made when it comes to the build quality of this guitar. Durable materials like mahogany and roasted jatoba have been used to build the body and fingerboard respectively.

The neck is made up of three-piece mahogany and therefore, the chances of warping in this guitar are less in comparison to those with one-piece necks. But the body is a single piece made of mahogany – without any chambers and this acts as another factor to add longevity to this guitar.

This guitar, when compared does not come short even against other expensive guitars that are built with rich customers in mind.

Design

The ESP LTD EC-256 guitar looks really sleek and is also aesthetically attractive. It is the upgraded version of EC-10 and has a good amount of resemblance to the style of Les Paul. So, if you are someone who cannot afford the Les Paul but is a fan of that style then this humble guitar can act as an affordable replacement for a Les Paul.

The Eclipse body style with single-cutaway design and slightly arched top provides players with comfortable hand positioning irrespective of the players’ picking style. You can find the thin U-neck contour in this guitar.

Even though the neck and body on this instrument are sleek and thin, the frets are huge. This makes playing with this electric guitar much easier.

Along with attractive aesthetics, the guitar comes in a variety of colors like black, gold, etc. and so you can choose any color of your choice.

If you are into glossy and shiny guitars rather than matte ones then this shall prove to be your cup of tea. The gold hardware, smooth black finish of the guitar body, and the jatoba fretboard highlight the beauty of this guitar.

Neck

There is a beautiful decorative headstock and you get a thin U neck with this guitar. Because of this feature, customization is really easy and the players can choose the thickness of their preference.

It has a nut with 1.65-inch width and a plastic truss rod cover on the headstock. Thick necks are sturdier and are also less prone to warping over a period of time (because of fluctuations in temperatures). However, it might not be that much comfortable for people with smaller hands. Therefore, anyone can modify it as per their comfort and choice.

As the neck is made from mahogany, it is flexible, buoyant, and durable. This wood also helps to bring out that desired warm tones and resonance. The neck isn’t attached to the body with the bolt but instead is glued and therefore, the player can feel the string to body vibrations and resonance much better.

Not using the bolt-on type of neck for attachment to body also adds that durability to this guitar.
The frets in this guitar are quite big with an interesting design. There are 22 jumbo frets and the fingerboard radius is 350mm, thus playing this guitar is much easier as you can have plenty of room to experiment around.

The frets are made up of Jatoba, a hardwood similar to Rosewood but much more sustainable, harder and cheaper in comparison. In addition, Jatoba is known for holding a good amount of moisture and leaving a minimum amount of blotch on the guitar’s surface. There is an LTD flag in fingerboard inlays and this provides it with a very custom look that I really like.

Body

As mentioned before, the body shape of this guitar is Les Paul (LP) and is made up of Mahogany.

Mahogany adds in the warmth and softens the highs by reducing the overtones. Along with that, it is durable, easy to work with, and also resonant which is one of the necessities for musical instruments. The body is shaped in such a way that it fits under the arm naturally and is comfortable.

Electronics

There are two humbucker pickups in this guitar. The neck pickups used in this guitar are ESP-designed LH-150N pickups.

The pickups are similar to those found in ESP LTD and based on the position of the neck, it can emit 8k up to 14k ohms. They offer great tone, both clean or dirty, as they are responsive to playing dynamics.

The bridge pickups used are ESP-designed LH-150B. You can split the pickups and play a variety of pickup configurations. This is possible because of the presence of a push/pull control knob.
This guitar has a pickup selector for each pickup and there are three control knobs; one master tone knob, and two volume knobs.

Hardware

You can find Tune-O-Matic (TOM) bridge and tailpiece in this guitar. These give you that dependable stability and intonation you need for tuning. TOM is responsible for maintaining the distance and making it adjustable for all the strings. Whereas, stop Tailpiece bridge makes the string changes easier.

Along with those, what you get with this guitar are really affordable LTD chrome tuners for setting your sound. Even if you play the guitar by bending the strings a lot, it is less likely to get out of tune. Hence once tuned, you can just grab it and play it anytime.

The string used in this guitar is the D’Addario XL110 string. These are tough and also sound better.
Single-coil and the humbucking tones both can be accessed easily by the push-pull coil in this guitar.
The nut made from molded plastic is used in this guitar. This isn’t ideal but it is understandable for keeping the price of this guitar low.

Sound

As this guitar is not as expensive as another great-sounding guitar, you might feel that this guitar will have issues with how they sound. But that’s not the case with this one. Single coil pickups in some guitars give that snappy and bright sound as coils are susceptible to environmental noise.

But this should not be an issue for this guitar as you can find “humbucking pickup” in this guitar. The two coils in a humbucking pickup help to reduce any noise by canceling out each other’s noise and producing that much required big, loud and warm sound with a great sounding sonic tone.

Each of the pickups in this guitar consists of a pickup selector. That pickup selector works three ways, a master tone knob, and dual-volume knobs. Because of the presence of a master tone knob, one can switch from a push-pull to a coil-split mechanism while playing. The splitting mechanism helps to bring versatility to the tone of this guitar.

The master tone knob allows to switch from a push-pull to a coil-split mechanism and bring those tonal variations. The ESP LH-150B bridge pickup in this guitar offers a brighter, snappier sound than the neck position. Whereas, the ESP LH-150N neck pickup helps to bring that higher bass content and warmth. Thus, one can enjoy a crisp solo as well as rocking heavier riffs in this guitar.

Freebies with the ESP LTD EC 256!

You get a form-fit case/ gig bag complimentary with this guitar. Therefore, you can protect your guitar from accidental external scratches and carry it around with easy.
The presence of a standard strap button on the heel of the guitar helps hold the guitar strap.

The Good

• Low price but great value
• Dependable build quality
• Excellent playability
• Beautiful fit and finish
• Versatile
• Comfortable
• Humbucking pickups
• Molded nuts
• Good sized guitar frets
• Three piece Mahogany neck
• Roasted jatoba fingerboard
• Tune-o-matics and stopbar fully adjustable tailpiece
• Fits naturally under the arms

The Bad

• No locking tuners
• Some of the fret ends aren’t as smooth

Get it now

Closing Thoughts

This ESP LTD EC-256 guitar is great for both advanced as well as intermediate players. Also, it can be played to produce various genres of sounds. Thus, this guitar can be used by players having different levels of skill and can switch musical genres effortlessly.

Pickups of this guitar are not that ideal but it could be easily replaced as per the player’s choice. Other than that, the features of this guitar are great and it can give good competition to the guitars which are much more expensive than this one.

Even though the low price, this guitar does not compromise on its’ sound quality and durability. All in all, as per my point of view, investing in this guitar shall not prove to be a waste of money and space!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ESP Ltd EC-256 guitar versatile?

Yes, it is. The powerful ESP-designed humbuckers deliver amazing versatile tones and allow the player to capture their playing style of any genre.

Is ESP Ltd EC-256 guitar worth the money?

Of course. For this price, you get many of the features in this guitar which are exclusive for other guitars priced much higher than this.

Is ESP Ltd EC-256 guitar good for beginners?

Because of the comfortability and easy playability, this guitar can cater not only for the advanced players but also equally towards the beginners.

Does ESP Ltd EC-256 sound good?

Yes, it does! You can get a brighter and crisp sound along with higher bass and warmth with this guitar. The features in this guitar make it a great pick when it comes to sound quality and versatility.

The problem is, there can only be one Buckethead in a sea of mediocre players. So then, to tackle this problem, we first need to understand why so many players don’t get better.

The Big Picture For Beginner Guitarists

You have a new guitar, and you learn your first chord. Then quickly, you move on to learning some overplayed songs that you can play at a campfire. Over time, your interest in the instrument fades and the guitar sits on the stand staring you.

If this summed you up, then you know exactly what happened here. You did start out feeling motivated but that soon faded away, and you lost what little chops you may have developed.

In my humble opinion, what separates a guitar player into good and average is not the amount of talent they have, but the consistency of their efforts. It’s a lot like a marathon really.

What is the fastest way to improve on guitar?

The fastest way to improve on any instrument is to master the basics of not just the instrument itself but also the building blocks of music. And once you get used to how notes behave when used in conjunction with one another, a whole new world of opportunities will open to you.

If you ask any player, you will get a lot of different answers because each guitarist had a different approach to learning and mastering their instrument.

In this short article, we take a look at the super easy ways to get amazing good at guitar. Let’s get started!

How To Get Better At Guitar?

1. Play with a backing track

I think a metronome is something that every guitarist should be familiar with.

Every musician needs to know about intervals and note subdivisions. If you play around with quarter notes, eighths and sixteenths along to a track, not only do you get to improve your musicality without listening to annoying click-tracks, you also get a feel for improvising over something that actually sounds like music.

There are a plethora of options when you want to choose a backing track to practice over. Electric guitar players will find that they can easily play along to any track on YouTube or any streaming service as electric guitars are pretty loud.

But for the humble acoustic guitarist, things can get a little tough as the sound of an acoustic guitar can get drowned in the track.

Personally, I find tracks by Tom Bailee or Quist to be fantastic. If you are in the mood, you can also make your own backing tracks by using the ChordBot Lite app that I’ve reviewed here under 9 Best Guitar Accessories list.

2. Learn intervals

Knowing your intervals may sound like a geeky approach to playing guitar but you will find that a basic level of music theory will help your playing by leaps and bounds.

There aren’t even that many intervals to learn, and a basic understanding will help you while soloing.

Knowing these certainly helped me play by ear, and if ear training is something you struggle with, I recommend you to look into intervals.

Though this is a completely different topic, learning vocals can also improve your ear.

If you want to learn intervals, you can start with a detailed course, or just on your guitar. I do have an article here that goes deep into intervals on guitars. A complete mastery of all intervals that make up various arpeggios can doubt help you a lot.

3. Learning full songs

We all know how boring practicing the same over and over can get. But, the truth is, the only way to get better at a particular section of a song is to internalize it so good while you practice that you simply cannot mess it up while performing.

If you know just two or three songs, that’s much more valuable than knowing bits and pieces of a dozen songs.

So, instead of rushing to learn the next song, focus on singing the one song you are currently learning to the best of your ability.

4. Learning scales after you master 2 – 3 songs

Many players get caught in the trap of learning endless scales and modes, and that can hinder your progress in sounding natural and musical.

I think it’s actually a great idea to learn major and minor scales along with the basic pentatonic positions.

You should probably learn the major pentatonic scales in the scales of C major and A minor, and once you get the hang of that, you can gradually move on to full major and minor scales.

Learning modes can also make you a more versatile player, but I would also suggest that you do so only after you have a decent grasp of scales and harmony.

5. Take It Slow

It may sound contrary to what the list is about, but hear me out, okay?

Every body learns at a different pace. Somebody out there mastered their scales at a super young age while so many guitarists sound just fine without ever hearing about scales and modes.

Guitar learning is not a race, and it’s just a process. So, you should focus more on enjoying the process than chasing the destination, which, more than often- slows you down instead.

Keeping a positive attitude and not being afraid to fail is also something that you should cultivate as a musician. It’s super easy to just stop playing instruments because it’s hard and challenging, but if you keep at it, little by little, one day it will be all worth it.

Everything worth learning takes it’s sweet time. That relates even nicely to bar chords on the guitar which are honestly a pain when first starting out. But over time, it gets easier as your finger strength and dexterity improves.

If you keep at it every single day, and are learning something new, you are bound to master the instrument sooner or later, right?

Should I start out on an easier instrument?

Well.. it depends what you think as easy on any instrument. It’s relatively easy to play basic scales on keyboards as opposed to playing on string instrument, and that’s mainly because a beginner just starting out won’t have the necessary strength and dexterity to pull it off.

But being able to play on a basic level won’t take you more than a weeks if you are not starting out on a fretless instrument. I don’t hate fretless instruments really, but I would say that for a beginner, it’s a huge pain in the ass as not only do you need to sound musical but you also need to worry about the intonation of every note being played.

It’s really not surprising that so many beginning violinists sound like a dying cat during the first few months of practice.

If you start out on ukulele, you may find that you can do chords with just a finger on two but you can also do that on a guitar. You just need to be a little creative, and the learning is more rewarding.

Closing Thoughts

There are many things you could do get better at guitar. Taking lessons has been the single most important thing that I ever did to kick-start my progress. Using a metronome and a tuner more frequently are also things that will tremendously help you.

I find that regardless of the approach you take, consistency is the key to success. Even if you just pick up the guitar and learn just one new thing each day, that’s over 350 in a year. So, make sure to stay motivated and play regularly, and you’ll find yourself improving in no time at all.

FAQ

Is ear training necessary for guitarists?

Absolutely! Every musician needs to be able to identify intervals as well as reproduce melodies they may hear on their instrument. This skill is a super valuable one in the arsenal of an experienced player and also helps when trying to pick up new solos by ear.

You may think that there a plethora of tabs online for you, but they may be wrong. And knowing which interval sounds off can help you figure out the correct transcriptions as well.

However, lots of these tend to have intonation issues and little flaws that can really be annoying once you’re past a certain skill level. If you prefer to go the traditional route and decide to get a Squier, you will soon find that the pickups need upgrading.

If you started on single-coil pickups, you will want to upgrade to noiseless ones or humbuckers. That’s just the way it works for most of us!

What if you wanted a good one right off the bat and didn’t want to upgrade your playing setup too soon? As far as full-size Les Pauls are concerned, the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT electric guitar is one of the ideal guitars for beginners!

While it’s geared toward players who are looking to get into metal, it’s got lots of features to add value to any musical genre you decide to play. I find that it’s a great instrument for somebody on a budget who wants a quality instrument with good parts.

Is the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT really an ideal guitar for the average guitarist (or a complete beginner)? Let’s find out!

Does Epiphone Make Good Guitars?

Before we get into the actual details of the Les Paul Studio LT, it’s a good idea to look at the company’s endeavors.

When I hear of the Epiphone name, I think about affordable guitar models that I can afford. The brand has gained a lot of trusts, and I can say confidently that if I walked into one of their stores and got any guitar, I would be a happy man afterward.

Epiphone was originally founded in 1873 in present-day Turkey by a Greek luthier Stathopoulus who sold hand-made lutes and fiddles.

After relocating to the States in 1903, the son of the founder- Epaminondas decided to name Epiphone after his nickname ‘Epi’ and ‘phone’ which is Greek for voice.

The brand was known for the quality mandolins and banjos it sold. You probably didn’t know that the brand was also named the Epiphone Banjo Company in 1928, the same year it started producing guitars.

When Epi passed away, his brothers got the rights to Epiphone, and putting it short, they did manage it well. By the early sixties, Epiphone was a leading manufacturer of archtop guitars, and Gibson bought Epiphone in 1957.

Since then, the brand has been used to produce budget copies of Gibson’s overpriced guitars as well as to make signature models for bands like The Beatles.

It is very easy to see why some players might consider Epiphone guitars second-rate but I find that these offer excellent value for the price. I have never had any issues with an Epiphone, so I’ve got nothing to complain about.

Review of Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT

Too lazy to read the full review? Here’s the quick summary!

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT is a fantastic beginner guitar with quality hardware and electronics.

It’s just a quarter of the price of the cheapest Gibson and has two beautiful sounding humbucker pickups that lend well to a variety of playing styles.

You will probably want to swap the strings out for something like the D’Addario strings but other than that, you can rock with this straight out of the case.

Features

• All-mahogany neck and body
• Tune-O-Matic bridge
• Beautiful rosewood frets on a budget guitar
• Medium jumbo frets
• Beautiful finishes

Aesthetics

I am a huge fan of guitars without finishes and pickguards. I prefer to have a natural grain of wood on my guitars, and overall, I just like having the look of wood. The Les Paul Studio LT does not have a pickguard so you might scratch the body with your picking hand but it does look super nice.

One of the things that the Les Paul Studio LT does differently from the Gibson Les Paul is that it features dot inlays. This choice does not sit nicely with most players as they are used to seeing trapezoid inlays. It is a non-issue really, as you can easily change them with something you like.

I like trapezoid inlays too, and part of the reason why I love Ibanez and Schecter Omen guitars so much is that they’ve got cool inlays.

The Epiphone slim taper neck feels super nice in your hands as it has got a D-shape neck profile. The headstock has a silver Epiphone insignia which adds a touch of elegance to the instrument.

The guitar is available in many finishes, and you should choose one that you really like.

Tuning

You may be well aware of the fact that the tuners on an electric guitar, or any stringed instrument, for that matter- can make or completely break the intonation. The Epiphone Studio LT does not offer best-of-the-line tuners but does provide a fairly average tuning mechanism that won’t go out of tune very frequently.

The tuners are standard chrome diecast tuning machines that aren’t too rigid.

Some players also upgrade to locking tuners or Floyd rose to ensure that they aren’t out of that tune. Me, I find that having to tune my guitars every time I pick it up has become a habit, and as annoying as it may be, it’s a good habit.

What I don’t like about the guitar is that it’s got a crappy nut. If I were getting this guitar, I would happily purchase a bone nut and do the replacement the next day I got the guitar.

It does not do much for the aesthetics but does enhance the tuning stability.

So, while the tuners may not be suited for something that involves lots of bends and whammy bar action, it’s certainly good enough for most guitar players out there.

Neck

If you look at the neck, the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT electric guitar has got a surprise up its sleeve! The guitar has a bolt-on mahogany neck with rosewood frets which looks very beautiful.

If you are new to the tonewood used on guitars, manufacturers don’t usually use rosewood on budget guitars. That’s because it is quite expensive and raises production costs. Companies also tend to use cheaper woods instead of Mahogany, so having that here is certainly nice.

There is a tapered heel joint at the place the mahogany neck meets the mahogany body.

Some suppliers may also be selling cheaper Poplar necks, so that’s something you should look out for.

I am not a fan of bolt-on neck construction and prefer glued necks but I don’t think it is that big an issue. Both neck types hold up quite well, and bolt-on necks are easier to replace if you break a guitar neck by accident.

Some players swear by set necks saying that they have an enhanced resonance but, personally, I have yet to hear any difference in tonal characteristics.

There are 22 medium jumbo frets which is a pretty standard size on most guitars. Even if you have large hands or unusually small fingers, you won’t have much difficulty learning on the frets.

The neck looks absolutely gorgeous thanks to the rosewood fingerboard. It’s one of the things that I like the most about this guitar.

If there’s one thing amiss about the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT, it’s got to be the intonation on some frets. You won’t notice the frets going out of tune most of the time, but if you tend to play lead lines a lot, you may want to take this guitar for a quick fret leveling.

Over time, I’ve learned to do most of the tweaking on my own, and would highly recommend you to take the time to learn how to set up your guitar neck yourself. If you are not too comfortable doing that, you can always have a luthier do it for you.

When you hold the guitar in your hands, the first thing you will notice is how slim and nice the neck feels. It has a D-shape profile that is very comfortable to fret.

As always, the Epiphone guitar has a truss rod that you can easily adjust if you find that the string height is not what you would like it to be. You just need an Allen key and you turn the truss rod clockwise or anticlockwise to your liking.

If you’ve ever been to a guitar shop to ask for adjusting the action, you may have noticed that all they do is turn the truss rod a bit, and maybe wipe the neck with a fancy cloth. And they charge you a bit for that.

You may prefer leaving it to somebody more experienced but me, I like taking care of simple stuff like that on my own. It’s no different from tuning, really, and if you love to play music, you will be running into such encounters quite a bit. Learning to adjust the action will also save you time and money later on.

Back to the Epiphone Studio LT, the slim neck design is also where Epiphone departs from the thick necks found on Gibsons, and that’s definitely a great stylistic decision!

Body

The solid body on the Les Paul Studio LT is made out of mahogany wood which is an excellent choice for the body material. Inspired by the aesthetic of premium guitars, the Les Paul Studio LT features a sleek and elegant body.

Guitars in the mid-price range tend to substitute the guitar body material with cheaper woods like Alder or some Chinese-grown wood without much care for the tonal characteristics. I find that most woods do sound the same on an electric guitar.

What’s more important, in my opinion, is that regardless of the wood material, the guitar has to feel nice and smooth when you are playing it. The solid, all-mahogany construction feels very durable as well.

The all-mahogany body is quite rigid and has a Tune-O-Matic bridge combo that helps with the intonation. If you want spot-on intonation, you can also go for the locking Floyd Rose mechanism. These can be an absolute pain in the ass but do help with the tuning stability.

Pickups And Controls On Les Paul Studio LT

One thing that I really like about the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT electric guitar is that it has got premium humbucker pickups that sound super cool. If there is one thing that beginner needs, it’s not some fancy-looking pickguard or a cool finish but nice sounding pickups.

Single coil pickups, which are the standard choice on most entry-level guitars, while good enough for most beginners to start on- produce a lot of noise and interference. To me, they are very annoying to listen to, and I would much rather spend a bit more to get noiseless pickups.

The pickups have got a lot to live up to- considering that they have to live up to the name of famed guitar models as well.

Having humbuckers is also good for versatile playing, as the rich fat tone lends itself nicely to anything from classic rock to heavy metal. Humbucking pickups are also especially good for fingerstyle arrangements on electric guitars.

The distinctive feature about these zebra coil pickups is that they have beautiful dark and white streaks that look quite elegant. The dual zebra humbuckers sound fat and lush, and I couldn’t ask for better-sounding ceramic humbuckers on a budget guitar.

Speaking of controls, you can select the pickup output with the help of a 3-way selector switch that lets you switch between the neck, mid and bridge positions.

Neck pickup configuration

The neck pickup is manufactured specifically so it has a less shrill sound when you play beyond the 12^th fret. So, the warm tone is good for playing solos, and that’s exactly what most players do.

Mid pickup configuration

The mid position has an intermediate sound and is good if you don’t want to lose the top-end while having a bright sound. Most beginner guitar players think of this position as a default for playing fingerstyle.

This is also a favorite of metal guitarists as it has a distinct sound to it.

Bridge pickup configuration

The bridge pickup offers a brighter and snappier sound that sounds great in the rock or metal context. Just play around with the EQ controls on your amp, and you will get a rich punchier tone.

Some players think that you don’t mess around with the 3-way switch, and you select a tone before you play. I find that too limiting, and as switching between pickups mid-way also helps with variety in different parts of the song, I recommend playing around to see what you like.

To the right, you can find two volume knobs for controlling the volume output and two-tone controls that let you shape the tone.

The separate controls feature is very helpful so that you don’t mess up one configuration while adjusting another.

Sound of the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT

The Les Paul Studio by Epiphone is versatile for both clean tones and heavy overdriven sounds. The top end is where the guitar shines, and the sound is kind of comparable to that of a Gibson.

Remember when I said this had independent controls for each pickup? The cool thing about that is that you can let a bit of the sound from neck pickups bleed into the bridge pickup sounds.

The Les Paul Studio LT sounds pretty good as it has got dual humbucker pickups. I personally prefer the warmer-sounding neck humbucker pickup good to use for rock as well as metal voicings. These do not have the noise that a single coil would cause, so that’s good too.

If there’s one thing that shines here, it’s the mid-range tone though you can also hear the bass boosted in the neck pickup configuration. It’s versatile and you can use the guitar for almost all genres including high-gain metal.

It’s less the guitar itself and more the amp and settings when it comes to a stage-ready sound. If you hook this guitar to a Marshall tube amp, you would be absolutely surprised by how neat it sounds!

This trick is also fairly common for reviewers that are showing reviews of cheap guitars. They tend to hook up the guitars to their expensive cabinet setups and that’s why, when you actually buy the cheap guitars, they sound nothing like the reviewer’s.

Some players just don’t like cheap guitars, and I understand where they are coming from. But I think the Les Paul Studio LT has a lot to offer at an affordable price and you should at least give it a chance. It’s a good choice as far as beginner-quality guitars are concerned.

The Good

• Excellent beginner guitar
• Fantastic humbucker sound
• Can use for practice

The Bad

• Not for metal
• Needs fretwork
• Cheap tuners

Final Thoughts

The Les Paul Studio LT does have some harsh reviews that say that it has cheap tuners and cheap pickups, but I would say that it doesn’t cost much and isn’t a bad guitar either. Anything that a beginner can lay their hands on and practice on is probably a good guitar.

My opinion? Save up and get a better guitar.

If you absolutely want a beautiful guitar and are willing to upgrade later, or aren’t sure if guitar-playing is for you, the Les Paul Studio LT will be a great purchase for you. You will have to do the neck adjustments and string swaps, which, to be honest, you would have to do on just about any guitar in the price range of the cheapest guitars with decent playability.

Still, if you would like to look for an alternative, I would suggest looking at the Fender Squier Affinity Stratocaster.

FAQ

Who is the Les Paul Studio LT for?

The Studio LT features excellent playability and quality hardware that make up a killer instrument. It’s a solid purchase for any beginner or an intermediate-level player who wants to get their feet into the world of electric guitars.

It’s also a good guitar for learning wirings and modding as it’s very cheap. You can also upgrade the pickups on this to something that you like.

Is the Epiphone Les Paul Studio LT a good guitar?

For the price, the Studio LT is an excellent purchase. You may still want to look into the specifications to see if it’s what you want though.

You may’ve wondered if the Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster is a good one for a first strat or if it offers a great value.

In this short Squier Classic Vibe review, we’re going to nitpick at the details of the classic vibe electric guitar and see how it does against the options available on the market at a similar price range. But before we get into that, let’s talk a bit about Squier as a brand.

Are Squier Guitars any good?

Many guitarists think that Squiers are crap. While that used to be the case in the past when the brand only produced cheaper copies of Fender, these days, production quality has improved tremendously.

Leo Fender actually acquired the Squier brand and used the name to sell low-priced Fenders to players. As such, Squiers are just as good as Fenders.

Some Squier guitars are even more expensive than Fender ones and quality-wise, the brand offers impeccable quality in terms of choice of materials, hardware, sound, and playability.

Squier brand was acquired by Fender, and today, it has its own prestigious line of excellent instruments primarily targeted towards beginners but it does have some premium top-of-the-line guitars.

The Squier Classic Vibe has some distinctive features and a great build quality which, in the right hands – sounds amazing. It’s got distinct features and is a great quality instrument right alongside the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster.

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s get into the details of the fantastic guitar!

Review of Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster

Too lazy to read the full review? Here’s the quick summary!

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Classic Vibe 70s Strat is a fantastic piece of gear that not only looks and feels awesome but also plays like a charm.

It offers a good value for a beginner or an intermediate player and is ideal for practicing and improving your arsenal of musical techniques.

Features

• Bone nut
• Bolt-on maple neck
• Vintage die-cast tuners
• Single coil Fender Alnico pickups
• Gloss finish

Looks

If you’re a fan of vintage-looking guitars, you’ll love to get your hands on the Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster.

The finish on the Squier guitar is a beautiful gloss one just like you’d expect to find on most Squier guitars. As far as the aesthetics go, it looks pretty standard as a Strat.

One thing that I really like about the Squire Classic Vibe is that it’s got a bone nut. Manufacturers tend to find a cheaper substitute for bone, so finding a bone nut here is great!

Obsessing over the choice of nut material may seem odd to you, but it does have some effect on the resonance and intonation. Bone nuts impart a more resonant sound and the general consensus is that since they’re dense, they help transmit sound better which leads to them always sounding than plastic nuts.

The body has a polyurethane finish which doesn’t age at all. If you are constantly exposing your guitar to sunlight, the finish may fade after many years but it doesn’t lose its shine under normal use.

I find that lacquer finishes age beautifully, and generally look better than gloss poly ones do. That said, the Squier Classic Vibe Series does have sweet looking guitars with a gloss finish.

The CV Squier is made out of solid materials and projects classic vibes right off the back.

The Classic Vibe Series guitar is Indonesian-made, and the low cost of labour and parts there helps keep the prices down. In spite of that, it doesn’t show signs of neglect and has neat fret edges and a great playability.

If you’ve looked into the Classic Vibe 50s or 60s series, you may’ve noticed that these guitars pretty much all the look the same. The classic vibe strat 50s electric guitar has maple frets with a medium V profile neck while the 60s CV has got rosewood frets.

The 70s CV Squier guitar does have a larger headstock compared to other Classic Vibe Series guitars.

It may not look like something out of Fender Custom Shop, but it sure is a beautiful guitar as far as budget guitars go. The two tone sunburst on the Classic Vibe Strat give a refined vintage look.

Does It Hold Tune?

The Classic Vibe electric guitar has vintage style tuners that are of excellent quality. These are die-cast tuners and look just like the ones found on the original telecaster.

The tuners work great and trust me, there’s really no reason to upgrade them any time soon. It holds tune quite nicely.

The strings are attached to a 6-saddle tremolo bridge which is standard on Squier guitars. It’s decent quality, so that’s great.

Neck

The Squier Classic Vibe has a beautiful maple neck which is a full-scale one with a scale length of 25.5″. Anything more than 25″ is considered full-scale and that’s the metric considered standard on most guitars. Any shorter than that, and it feels like you’re playing on a mini instrument.

The maple neck is a bolt-on type, meaning that it’s not glued to the body, and having a bolt-on neck means that it is less resonant than glued necks. Something to remember is that, while glued necks are sturdier and more resonant, having one on a budget guitar can spike up prices, and that’s not good for players like us who want guitars to be more affordable yet with premium features.

There’s also a bright side to the bolt-on neck – you can easily replace the neck by yourself if you break it or feel like you want an upgrade. Doing that on a traditional set neck is a lot of trouble, and that’s actually one of the reasons why bolt-on necks were invented for the electric guitar.

The Classic Vibe guitar has a slim C shaped neck with a fingerboard radius of 9.5″. The decent curvature makes fretting and playing bar chords pretty easy. The C shaped neck is also a great feature to have for beginners as well as intermediates.

The tinted finish on the maple neck adds to the vintage feel. There is a gloss finish on this which doesn’t age as well as lacquered one does, but it sure looks nice.

If there’s one thing I don’t like about the neck on the CV Squier, it’s got to be the gloss finish on the neck. I am all for pretty-looking guitars but I feel that they could’ve done a better job with a satin finish on the neck.

The satin finish doesn’t tend to stick to fingers when playing for long hours, and at least to my hands, it feels smoother. Everybody has different preferences, and you might find it nice too.

As for the fingerboard material, there is Indian Laurelwood on this which takes on a smooth finish and sounds quite good. Some players say that it sounds very similar to rosewood but I don’t feel like it makes much of a difference.

There are 21 medium jumbo frets in total, which is one less than the standard 22 frets. It may have been a design choice but beginners and intermediate players won’t feel any inconvenience at all.

The Squier Classic Vibe also has Pearloid dot inlays on standard frets that serve as fret markers for inexperienced players.

In my experience, once you get to a certain point in your guitar-playing journey, you can easily adapt to changes in neck profile or string gauges or weird body shapes. It’s fairly easy to sound decent on almost any instrument and thanks to years of muscle memory, you can make any crappy instrument sound nice.

But the problem is, for most beginners and intermediate-level players, flaws in fretworks or non-standard necks can really be demotivating. The Classic Vibe guitar is standard and has an easy to fret setup that’s definitely comfortable to even somebody just starting out.

There are standard medium-jumbo frets that are super convenient to play on. Compared to the narrow-tall frets which are good if you’ve got large fingers or are into bending strings, medium jumbo frets are great if you want to work on your technical ability like speed, endurance, and stamina. It’s also good for heavy rock and blues.

It has also got an adjustable truss rod that you can easily adjust if you find that the neck is warped or uncomfortably high off the strings. You just need a truss rod adjustment tool called an Allen key which is very cheap. Just get an Allen key and you’re good to go do your own neck adjustments.

The Squier Classic Vibe has one of the nicest necks I’ve seen on a Strat, so Squier did a great job here.

Body

The Alder body on the Classic Vibe makes the Squier guitar a lightweight one, and that’s very helpful when strapping the guitar and playing on stage.

Many guitarists think that the choice of woods on guitar parts matters but I personally believe that it doesn’t. Tonewoods affect the sound of an acoustic guitar greatly, but it doesn’t matter at all when it comes to electric guitars.

The alder body is harder than a pine body which is also nice. It would’ve been cheaper to opt for the pine body but it’s a surprise that Squier CV didn’t decide to go for one.

The gloss finish on this looks quite nice, and while I do like the neat look of lacquers, it’s not really something to be expected for the price. The paint job on the Classic Vibe has been done nicely and it feels smooth. It also won’t fade away soon which is nice.

The strings are attached to the back of the body through tiny holes drilled into the body. This type of bridge setup is called the string-through type.

It has a vintage-style tremolo system which is a nod to the original Strat. The 6-saddle tremolo does a great job at keeping the strings in perfect intonation.

There is a standard pickguard on this that nicely complements the classic Strat body shape.

Electronics

Contrary to an acoustic guitar that gets its luscious sound thanks to the hollow resonant chamber and tonewood, the Classic Vibe electric guitar sounds nice courtesy of fantastic electronics. I’ve seen many guitars with good parts but the soldering and circuitry is a mess, and that can lead to a poor sound.

At the heart of the Classic Vibe Squier are the Fender Alnico V single-coil pickups, and there are 3 of them. The pickup configuration is pretty typical of most Squier Strats and so, feels intuitive.

You surely know how fantastic the 70s classic rock sound was. The Alnico V pick-ups do a great job at helping you replicate similar nuances in your sound.

You can access the incredible tones on this guitar by using the 5 – way switch that toggles between:

• Neck position
• Neck and mid position
• Mid position
• Mid and bridge position, &
• Bridge position.

Many guitarists find that cheap guitars often have crappy tone control knobs. The Squier Classic Vibe has decent knobs- one for the master volume that lets you control the overall volume, and tone control knob each for the pickups. These are all placed nicely on the classic-looking pickguard.

A master tone control is missing from the Squier Classic Vibe and I think that’s what makes it different from the typical Strat. Having two individual tone knobs, however, you have the freedom to blend in the tones as you desire.

Experimenting with the individual tone from the neck and bridge pickup can help you find the perfect blend of sweet pickup tones for your personal voice on this instrument. You also won’t need to swap them out for new pickups as they do sound quite nice.

I like the fat tone of humbuckers, so I would probably switch the bridge pickup to Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups. That’s optional and you can do without it if you really like the single-coil sound. If you don’t know how to upgrade the pickups, I do have a detailed guide to replacing pickups on electric guitars.

The Squier guitar also has shielding paint where necessary, so you can be assured that it’s free of unwanted noises and interferences.

How Does The Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster Sound?

The Classic Vibe electric guitar by Squier has .009 gauge strings which are just moderate thickness. Heavier string gauges impart a better tone but are hard to bend and fret, while light strings offer easy playability but lose some of the tones.

For a beginner or an intermediate-level player, these strings are quite good and you won’t need to upgrade to new ones unless you break them. Personally, I prefer Ernie Ball Slinky strings on my ax, as it sounds nice to my ears and is also quite durable. A set lasts me about six months even with all the crazy vibrato and bends I do.

The stock pick-ups on this sound as good as custom single-coil pickups. As my friend’s dad used to say, nice-sounding pickups are characteristics of great guitars!

I like keeping things simple and most of the time, I’m just plugging in guitars to my Fender Champion 20 which is an inexpensive amp that has served me well.

If you’ve got any experience with Strats, you already know how the single-coil strat pickups sound like. The neck pickup has a good bite to it and is great for folk, country, and indie rock. I would use the bridge and the mid pickup combinations for playing the lead.

As with most techniques in your arsenal, you just have to experiment with the controls till you find a setting that you feel is great for the style you wish to play.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that an inexpensive looper is all you need to improve your chops. While fancy pedals do sound good when performing, they can really distract you from your daily practice routine.

There is a fine line between overusing effects to the point that your playing suffers and using it tastefully for expression. I prefer to stick to just a plain reverb pedal paired with an overdrive.

I also like using a fuzz pedal to get rock sounds out of my guitars. It really complements the unique sound of CV Squier.

Thanks to the single-coil pick-ups, it’s got a fair bit of twang that you’ll find good to use in genres like country and delta blues.

The Classic Vibe has an overall crispy sound that you’ll absolutely love. If you’d like to experiment with punchier tones, looking into the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster is a great idea.

Who Can Get The Most Value Out Of The Squier Classic Vibe?

The Squier Classic Vibe guitar is a good guitar for players at the end of both spectra. For somebody just learning to play the guitar, it offers great value and excellent playability, and for seasoned gigging professionals, it has reliable intonation as well as decent materials, so it can work as a great practice instrument.

Does it work well for gigs? Well, as a medium-priced instrument that has good pick-ups and is easy to play, it’s certainly good for gigs.

I wouldn’t use it for metal or high-gain styles but other than that, it’s very versatile and suitable for players of almost any musical genre.

The Classic Vibe is also quite affordable, so it makes for a great gift instrument. I like the idea of giving somebody an instrument because not only is it thoughtful, but also provides the other person a chance to experience the joys that making music can bring.

You can gift your child the love of music or surprise your partner with the Squier guitar, and they’ll be happy to have it!

The Good

• Inexpensive
• Offers excellent value
• Decent electronics
• Ideal for beginners

The Bad

• Intonation
• Not for metal

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the market for a guitar that looks and feels vintage, has nice playability, and has a fantastic range of tones, the Squier Classic Vibe is an excellent choice. Whether you’re picking the Squier for beginners or intermediate players, it’s a great deal for most genres and everything used on it is of incredible value.

The case is sold separately but for the price, it’s easy to overlook that.

FAQ

Which Squier Classic Vibe is the best in terms of value?

The Squier Classic Vibe’s 70s or 60s is great in terms of value and playability. None of the Classic Vibe series are bad, but they do ship out some models that absolutely need quick fret adjustments before being playable, so it’s something you should be mindful of.

Overall, these guitars offer excellent playability and quality materials at a good price.

Are Squier guitars bad compared to Fender ones?

Many guitarists have this misconception that Fender guitars are superior to Squier guitars but truth be told, Squiers just have a different sound. A Squier can be a great Strat, and if you’re getting your first guitar, a Squier is an incredible bargain and does have good quality hardware and electronics, and does sound great.

Some Squiers are even expensive than Fender ones and may have hotter pickups. The CV Strat, more importantly, is a great guitar and it’s got excellent tones and great playability for the price.

Are Squier Classic Vibe guitars any good?

Squier Classic Vibe guitars are actually better than the Squiers back in the 80s. The modern production line has better finishes, excellent neck profiles, and more importantly, better pick-ups than the past Squiers used to have.

It’s very important to know what you are getting into before actually diving headfirst into what could momentarily seem like an unpassable offer.
In this short review, we take a look at how the Vox Adio Air GT amp model compares to the Yamaha THR10 so you can walk out with some knowledge on the topic. Let’s get started!

Review of Vox Adio Air GT Modeling Amplifier

Too lazy to read the full review? Here’s the quick summary!

Check Price on Amazon

Check Price on Zzsounds

What We Think

The Vox Adio Air GT is a fantastic performing amp that suits small-large venues while being portable enough for convenient transport during practice.

Flaunting tons of onboard effects, 3 band EQ controls, and lots of options to customize your sound, this multi-purpose Adio amp is ideal for any guitarist regardless of their playing experience.

Features

• Built-in tuner
• Full 3-band EQ
• Noise reduction
• Vox Virtual Element Technology
• 8 Memory banks and wide range of effects

How is the brand Vox with amps?

Over the years, Vox has built a good reputation by putting out quality amps with excellent features.

There was the Valvetronix that had poor circuitry, low quality, poor tone, and was basically a gimmick, and some players still hate Vox for marketing it as a tube amp unit when in reality, it didn’t sound nearly as good.

The brand has redeemed itself with excellent amps since. The Nutube technology (based on Vacuum fluorescent display) on MV50 is cutting-edge and most players prefer this amp over similar ones in the price range. Presently, Vox offers a massive selection of amplifier models in all budget ranges.

This amp that we’re going to review is one of the more quality-sounding amp models that is known for a startling sense of controls. The ease of playing through your favorite device and the capability to use it as a single unit for various uses make it very powerful.

Size

Though the Vox Adio Air has a compact size and a portable cabinet design, it delivers ample power and punch to cut through a loud mix.

It’s pretty small so you won’t have to worry about it taking up maximum space in your room.

Aesthetics

Vox Adio Air isn’t probably the most stylish amp model out there because of the odd cabinet design, and personally, I am not much into the aesthetics Vox has opted to go for here.

There’s always the debate whether you should go for gear that looks cute versus gear that offers better value. An ideal world would be where we could have both, and companies do put out quality amps that look stunning but price them super high more often than not. So, I prefer to stick to amps that do the job even if they may not look cool.

The sophisticated slant-body design on the stereo speakers offers fantastic bass reflex efficiency which you will instantly notice upon hearing.

You may have noticed that this amp doesn’t have cables. You can easily use wireless playback to play songs from external devices via the amp as well.

Features of the Vox Adio Air GT Amplifier

The Vox Adio Air amp is a cool piece of gear that can be powered by an 18 V AC power adapter or 8 AA batteries. The battery operation is pretty efficient and consumes very little energy so it can last for up to 8 hours on continuous operation.
There is 50W output on this via 2*3-inch speakers that’s super loud. It’s loud enough for most venues and since you could easily annoy your neighbors with this, I hope you don’t!
The instrument input is a quarter-inch input and seems to be well-fitted. Aux input is 1/8th inch or 3.5mm, and there’s also a 3.5 mm headphone out. The amp also has a USB port for you to connect to your computer.

The input jack on headphone port is of standard size, so you won’t need to bother getting an adapter that fits.

One thing that I like very much about this amp is that, unlike some amps that have a single channel only, this one is equipped with dual Bluetooth channels. There is a speaker channel dedicated to audio playback via the amp model and a MIDI channel that lets you switch between amp settings as well as FX knob effects with the Vox Tone Room app. Having access to the software makes changing the effects on the Vox modeling amp super convenient.

The Adio Air amplifier also has excellent circuit design leading to very high quality effect types. In short, you can easily connect your devices as well as connect to the Vox Tone Room app, and both of these are excellent premium features that serve players quite well. You can also use the Librarian app for desktop/ mobile devices that lets you shape your tone.

On to the fun part!

The Vox Air amp has 2 separate FX controls that each have a couple of effects. FX1 has a chorus, flanger, phaser, and tremolo effects, while the FX2 has Analogue delay, Tape echo, Spring reverb, and Hall reverb.

What you need to keep in mind is that you can only have one from each FX active at a time. You could use something like chorus and Analogue delay effects at the same time but you cannot use chorus and flanger at the same time. I don’t think that’s too limiting as the available options do provide unique blending options.

There are knobs for FX1 and FX2 that control the amount of chosen effects such as speed and mix. You could also call it the bleed of one FX into another, and you also get the tap tempo feature for FX2 effects.

The Vox Adio Air GT has also got a built-in tuning function which comes in really handy if you somehow forgot to bring your tuner on stage. Also saves you some time during the tuning process as it’s super intuitive to get used to.

If you press and hold the Tap button for 1 second, it will take you to the standard tuning which is E A D G B E. Holding the tap button for two seconds will take you to half-down tuning mode which is D# G# C# F# A# D#. There are other ways to get your guitar tuned down by a half step, but this method is super easy.

The Vox Adio Air also has a full 3-band EQ that I am very fond of. Many modeling amps get rid of the mid-level controls to keep the prices low. Personally, I don’t like that as guitar sits in the mid-frequency range, and omitting the mid-controls makes no sense at all.

The amp also features 8 programmable effects banks to store settings that you can dial up later.
Like any other amp in the market, it’s got volume, gain, and instrument controls; instrument control also acts as a volume control by reducing the signal. I really like that it’s got a separate volume control so it doesn’t mess up the volumes you set earlier. You could use the other controls to adjust the volume during the day and control the loudness at night with just the instrument control.

There is a wide button that makes the pure, analog-quality sound nicer; pressing and holding the button gives you options to reduce noise from the amplifier’s stereo output.

You get remote control via app, and doing so also gives you access to additional controls such as mid boost and low cut controls, presence knob, tone, and noise reduction.

The Vox Adio Air doesn’t sound like a guitar amp simulator that some other brands seem to sound like. It’s also good for bass guitars, so you can try bass playing if you are into that. Even if you don’t, you can always help out your bass player by letting him practice on your amp!

There is also Bluetooth playback, so you can use apps similar to Chordbot Lite to play along with backing tracks. I’ve done a quick review of this free app in my list of must-have accessories for beginners if you want to know what this app is all about.

You can also choose from the clean tone for fingerstyle or a distorted powerful sound that would suit rock and metal.

The Vox amp is capable of smooth sound on acoustic as well as high-gain sounds. Not many types of amp models can offer this type of versatility for both acoustic and electric worlds. stereo playback with high-quality stereo effects

What you can expect to find for the price, and the edge of Vox over similar amps?

You can expect a wide stereo sound and a virtual surround sound image that almost instantly captivates you.

The Vox AX30 amp sound is hard to model, and even Vox has struggled to do it properly in the past. MV50 ac is the best modeling amp to have done it perfectly to date. Though the Vox Adio Air GT has tried to recreate the iconic AC30 amp model, it does have some imperfections.

In a similar price range, the competitor Vox Adio Air faces is the fantastic Yamaha THR 10. The THR 10 looks nicer and the tuner feels easier to use as well. But, Adio Air GT has got its edge too. Here’s how:

Bluetooth

The Vox Adio Air has got wireless connectivity that makes playback easier. You don’t need to worry about cables dangling around and you can use your phone for audio playback or remote editing of amp settings.

Standard 1/8 headphone jack input

Some amps have a quarter-inch headphone jack input that cannot be directly used. You would need an adapter to use the standard headphones. The Adio Air has standard 1/8 headphone jack input which is nice.

More memory banks

Compared to the 5 memory banks that the Yamaha THR 10 has, Adio Air GT has 8 programmable banks. More banks mean that you get to save more presets for use during a live situation.

Versatility

The Vox amp offers tons of features, so you are all set for many genres. If you wanted a THR 10, you would need three separate models THR10, THR10C, and THR10X so you don’t miss out on all of their features but with the Vox, you just need one.

The enhanced listening experience is partly why this amp is favored over its competitors in the market. It’s enjoyable enough for personal enjoyment and professional enough for gigs.

The Vox amp offers proprietary Virtual element technology which is responsible for the amp sounding as good as it does. You also get to use additional capabilities via software integration if you use the Librarian software. It’s fit for a modeling software as it’s very easy to understand and use.

Speaking of additional capabilities, the Vox Tone Room software also allows 12 more amp styles if you are using it with the Vox Adio Air GT amp.

The Virtual Element Technology on this helps tremendously with an enhanced sense of spatiality. If you get the amp, you can experience independent spaces where you feel a certain way towards your favorite music.

The adjustable audio EQ settings and the modified cabinet structure to reduce any parallel surfaces to get rid of unwanted cabinet resonance have gotten rid of unwanted noise from the amp. It just hits a sweet spot when it comes to internal resonances and muffling unwanted vibration.

You don’t need to do an acoustical analysis to hear that the Vox Adio Air GT sounds much different from other brands thanks to the smooth widening and virtual surround technology. The amp makes an enjoyable acoustic space in the area around you which is super nice.

After some time of continuous operation, you will find that your ears are much more adapted to listen to the subtleties in tone. You can also hear the Blackface signature vibrato channel. The cool thing is, you get the experience of playing through costly boutique amps at just a fraction of the price.

The Vox Adio Air does have a standard headphone output jack, so you can easily use it as a headphone amp. Very handy for rocking out at night!

You also get an AC power adapter that works as supply via power supply.

As far as the requirements for making good music are concerned, the Vox Adio Air unit hits all the marks with excellent sound density. It delivers the output power it promises and features a wide variety of effects and settings you can use to get the amp output sound you want.

How does the Vox amplifier sound?

The Vox amp also has Twin Reverb that I really love to hear on the tracks I play. 50W of power pushing is more than enough for most of our needs, really!

Having 11 built-in amp models and tons of effects on the compact amp eliminates the need for a separate guitar pedal like a spring reverb or fancy drive pedals, so that’s nice too. The types of effects on this may seem like a lot to you but trust me, you get used to the sounds (and names!) of these very quickly.

You may be thinking that the Vox Adio Air GT is just a guitar amp and has muddy bass notes. And you would be very wrong!

The modeling amp doubles as a powerful bass amp and the bass reflex structure further helps the low end get crisp and tight. If you want to have multiple effects with a super awesome sounding mic and instruments, the lavish multi-channel audio speaker setup will certainly help.

The Good

• incredible stereo sound
• Excellent sound quality
• Full-range sound reproduction

The Bad

• Lacking in looks

Closing Thoughts

Having a fantastic amp is an easy way to get used to the variety of guitar sounds that can be used in any incredible playing. The variety of amp sounds from the Vox Adio Air GT is very well suited at full-range sound reproduction.

Whether you want a clean sound or want a powerful and high-quality sound for aggressive genres, the Adio Air amp has got you covered. The versatility and high-voltage power amp capability mean that you can use it in a variety of situations, and it will sound super professional.

FAQ

What styles of music is the Vox Adio Air GT suitable for?

The Vox Air amp offers incredible versatility when it comes to the music player function as well as amp sounds thanks to the high sound quality of audio speakers. You can just plug in your phone to play your favorite music to learn the nuances in the record, or just use it for playback of music that can act as background music for you.

Music players also like using the Vox Adio Air GT amplifier for anything from plain country to jazz and metal. So, you will be fine regardless of what genre you wish to play on it since the amp has built-in distortion algorithms as well.

Is the Vox Adio Air amp good for jam sessions?

As a full-fledged performing amp with high-performance that also fits in a small space, the amp is more than ideal for any jam sessions with your favorite guitar. The amp also provides the ultimate listening experience even if you are only jamming with yourself.

The batteries on this last up to eight hours on a continuous operation which also makes it suited for plug n play style jamming.

Even if you’ve already got huge Marshall cabinets, or any other great-sounding amp for that matter – you may have realized that you would be very happy to own a small amp that takes very little space. I realized this sometime after learning a few Metallica songs that you need to have something reliable and portable that lets you silently practice during odd hours of the night.

And since I was mostly learning cliché songs by the most covered band of all time, not having others hear me practice sloppily was quite a luxury!

If I was getting this amp model, price and convenience would be the reasons why. It also offers good value for the low price, and a beginner just starting out on an electric guitar will certainly appreciate that.

In this short review, I go through what this piece of gear is all about, and if you should get it. Let’s get on with it!

Review of Vox Mini 5 Modeling Amplifier

Too lazy to read the full review? Here’s the quick summary!

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Vox Mini 5 is a budget amp that’s ideal for beginners and intermediate-level players looking for a practice amp to improve their chops.

Featuring many effects, loops, and rhythms, this amplifier packs a good punch though it’s got just a 5 W power output.

Features

• Excellent value for the price
• Built-in tuner
• High-quality rhythm patterns

Are Vox Mini Amp Models Any Good?

If you’ve ever been gear-shopping, you already know that the brand of a gear item usually dictates how the pricing and quality will be. Vox is certainly not an unpopular name in the guitar community and has been used widely by famous guitarists and bedroom musicians alike.

Mini amps are certainly worth getting into if you just want inexpensive amps that fit into any tight space. If you are uncertain about spending a huge amount on tube amps and would prefer a smaller one, mini amps offer many types of amp sounds that will work just fine.

The Mini 5 amplifier has got vintage styling, quality tone, fantastic digital circuit, and plenty of options to make you consider buying it as your next practice amp.

Size

The Vox amplifier weighs just 3.5 kg and is 29.6 / 26.7 cm. For the wide range of features that it provides, it’s quite portable and is one of the smaller products by the manufacturer.

For the tiny size, you would expect it to have a really low volume speaker but turns out, it’s loud enough for small gigs and definitely good for practice.

The Vox Mini 5 also has a carrying handle for convenient transportation.

Features Of The Mini 5 Guitar Amplifier

There are many things that I love about the Mini 5 amp, and the neat styling hits the mark perfectly!

The controls are grouped under Amp, Gain, Tone, Volume, Effects, and Rhythm sections. There is a power button on the left and two inputs and Trim and Send knobs just underneath. It’s super easy to get what the amp will do and what you need to change to get the sound you want.

As a cheap modeling amp targeted towards beginners, the Vox Mini 5 is a simple amplifier without the bells and whistles so it’s easier for you to focus on just your playing.

The Vox modeling amp has got 11 built-in rhythms which are quite nice to have on a beginner’s amp. You can just pick one and start jamming, and you may think that this is something that’s fun but it’s also the most helpful way to improve your phrasing and musicality.

The adjustable rhythm patterns are obviously a huge help in developing musical sensibility and a sense of timing.

I really love that some guitar amps can also be used as speakers which are great for audio playback around the house. The Vox Mini 5 has an independent mic input in addition to Auxiliary inputs that you can use to plug in your singer’s microphone as well.

The input jack for mic and guitar input Aux seem to be decent and do not feel loose or cheap. Having crappy jack inputs is a common problem on cheap beginner amps, so not having to deal with it is certainly nice.

As for the controls, there are gain, tone, and a master volume control knob that make it super easy to control the output. It’s not something exclusive to this though and is a standard feature on almost every guitar amp.

The realistic amp models and rich variety of tones are what make this tiny piece of gear very useful while practicing. Having a tuner that shows if you are flatter or sharper than a certain pitch is also an additional functionality that I really like.

The Mini 5 also allows versatility in its power output as you can choose from 1 or 5 V of Wattage. I don’t think it’s much different but you might find it handy when trying not to wake up your neighbors next door.

One thing that you may want to keep in mind is that pro guitarists often opt for tube amps when performing. That’s because these have a high-quality sound and if you compare tube amps with modeling amps, you can easily hear the stark difference in tone. However, if you’re not an advanced-level player that plays gigs often, the added cost won’t be reasonable for you.

If you’d like to use a footswitch with this amp, you can use a 3-Button VFS3 footswitch to control Mini5 rhythm and looping options. You could even call it a rhythm machine on a budget.

Being super easy to use, you can also use it as an mp3 player for jam sessions. Unfortunately for acoustic players, the Mini 5 amp doesn’t sound all that resonant. If you want an amplifier for your acoustic guitar that actually sounds decent, you should look into a dedicated acoustic amp.

There is also an AC adapter that comes with the Mini 5 amplifier. I really like that this amp has two-way power, and can also be battery-powered, and is run by six AA-sized batteries that last up to 4-5 hours.

The amp also has an auto-off feature meaning that it automatically turns off after some time of inactivity. This is a handy upgrade to the past models so that the Vox Mini  5 modeling amplifier can now save you some electricity/ battery charge if you forget to turn it off.

How Does The Vox Guitar Amplifier Sound?

The amp model has got a 6.5” speaker which is pretty loud for a super cheap practice amp. If you use it with a bit of drive, or a fuzz pedal, you can get some neat amp sounds out of this.

It’s more than capable of driving the sound for a wide range of musical styles and is an ideal amplifier for practice with a decent sound. You can play around with variations of rhythm patterns to see what you like.

The amp is good for anything from country to pop and jazz. You can get a wonderful sense of drive if you are willing to make a few adjustments. I highly recommend getting a simple 3-button programmable footswitch so you can quickly adjust the setting you want.

I wouldn’t use it for chugging but the amp type is good enough for things like 60s rock and blues. As with any piece of gear, if you fidget around with the setting, you will find something that you like.

Does the Mini5 Rhythm Speaker have enough power?

The Mini 5 may not be a beast but for a 5 W amp that is dirt-cheap, there’s really no room to complain. It’s meant to be a practice amplifier, and for that matter, it is very loud.

I don’t think it’s my first choice for street performances as 5W of power doesn’t seem to sound loud enough at some places, but you could technically use this tiny item in most spaces without any problems. For playing at home, the supposedly low adjustable volume on the speaker doesn’t pose a problem at all.

For anything that doesn’t require intense high-gain types of sounds, you will be absolutely fine sticking to this amp. The neat busking circuit will also let you get some rich sounds.

If I were buying a budget amp, I would be more concerned about the frequency response than the power output. Truth is, more expensive amps tend to pick up ultra-low frequency with ease and so, the Mini 5 amp doesn’t shine in the bass frequencies department.

The Good

• Inexpensive
• Onboard effects and loops
• Battery-powered
• In-built tuner
• Excellent as a first amp
• Ideal practice amp for both beginners and advanced players
• Versatile

The Bad

• Need to buy batteries separately
• Sounds thin with gain
• Will need to upgrade to a more powerful one later

Closing Thoughts

The Mini 5 amplifier is a simple and cheap amp that does offer many effects and nice features. It’s not a super powerful piece of gear but it will help you jam along to songs and not bother others during personal practice sessions.

FAQ

Does the Mini 5 amp model have a good battery life?

The Mini 5 guitar amplifier has an impressive battery life and lasts for 12 – 19 hours on a full charge. Even if you’re using it at full power, the alkaline batteries should still last you 12 hours, so that’s nice.

If you’re into long-lasting headphone amps with good effects, it’s certainly an ideal choice for you.

Is the Vox Mini 5 good for metal?

At its heart, the Vox guitar amplifier is a budget modeling amp that’s best suited for practice, and as such, it lacks the power to drive high gain genres. I can already imagine something from British Metal Bands being played on this.

You will want to look into intensely powerful high-gain amps like the Peavey 6505 if you are looking for an aggressive sound. It’s a bit pricy but definitely worth getting if that’s what you are into.

Are Mini amps worth it?

Mini amps offer excellent value for the price and are a portable alternative to otherwise large amplifiers. They take up less space, are super easy to use, offer a variety of rhythm patterns, and don’t cost much. In my opinion, mini amps receive far too little credit for the value they provide.

These are built sturdily, have a quality jack, a good range of effects as well as a built-in tuner. On top of that, mini amps don’t lack anywhere when practicing, so I think they are definitely worth the price.

You may have wondered how to hold a pick so you don’t seem like a beginner to somebody watching.

Truth is, holding a pick, like any other technique, is a personal thing. If you feel comfortable doing it with the way you hold it and can do it for hours without feeling discomfort in your wrist and arms, it’s probably okay!

A pick or plectrum as some like to call it- is a little piece of every guitarist‘s heart. We own so many of these, yet we always seem to lose them just when we pick up the guitar.

In this article, we take a look at the ways to hold picks, and which shapes and sizes may be the best for you.

I’m not going to talk about products here; if you’re looking for decent picks to buy, check out my list of best picks.

Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Do You Need A Pick?

Before we get into what picks you need, let’s talk about why and if you need a pick.

As a beginner,  it can be easy to get overwhelmed by what some guys can do with a pick.

You can play just fine without a pick but I would advise you to try both. Learning to play with both pick and fingers opens up a whole new world in your playing. It does take some practice to get used to the movements but it’s all worth it.

Using a pick helps with dynamics. When musicians talk about dynamics, they are talking about how soft or loud you are playing.

Playing with a pick can help you adjust the angles at which you hit the strings and how loud you can play. If you’re going to be strumming for hours, using a pick will also help prevent your strumming hand from hurting.

When I’m playing rock songs on electric guitar, I find using a pick more intuitive than using fingers. And you can get way more powerful sound with a thick pick than you can with fingers. If you want to learn metal, you should work on your pick skills a lot.

Also, playing with a pick is necessary if you want to play like Eddie Van Halen. Pickups on an electric guitar tend to pick up stronger string vibrations more if you play with a pick.

If you want to improve your playing, you should basic techniques properly. That involves using a pick, playing with fingers, basic sweeps, tremolo, and legato. So, I strongly recommend using a guitar pick.

What Do I Mean When I Say Playing With Fingers?

When strumming acoustic guitars, I find that not using a pick helps me get a lighter sound that sounds nicer in a way. Many guitarists adopt a unique playing style that they use for an acoustic.

You have four fingers (excluding the thumb), and if you decide to play the guitar in a ‘classical’ way, what you do is- you make a claw shape with your hand and place that over the strings.

I know how terrible the coordination can be at first. You’ll struggle to play even the pentatonic scales when trying for the very first time.

Guitar players think that some players are elites that are born with natural talent. Personally, I think that’s a shitty excuse. I taught myself to play classical, so I also know that it gets better with practice. These days, my fingers move effortlessly and so will yours if you keep at it!

Just show up every day and put in the work, and you’ll get better in no time.

Best Pick For Beginners

There’s so much you can do with a guitar pick when playing leads but as a beginner just starting out, playing even a simple melody can feel like the hardest thing in the world.

Somebody just starting out on a guitar will feel discouraged if they try a small pick. So, I would advise you to get used to just holding the pick with a firm grip and plucking strings while fretting a chord.

You’d pick the 2nd string and the 3rd string and 1st string and find some pattern. Practicing that to a metronome is a great idea!

Best Pick For Playing Leads (Intermediates)

If you’ve ever been to a guitar lesson at your local store, your teacher will give you a pick and tell you that using a pick to play single strings is vital for further progress. There are many techniques that depend on your proficiency with picking an individual string– like sweep picking and legato.

I play rock and blues solos often and I use a Jazz Pick. I tend to prefer small thick ones that are teardrop-shaped. These provide greater dynamic control over guitar strings which is always a good thing.

If you want to get better and develop a personal voice on the guitar, mixing up the angle of attack of a pick with guitar pedals is also a great way to discover new sounds.

Does Pick-size Matter?

Your playing should never be a compromise between control and speed and all of your strokes should be clean and precise.

For that, the amount of time you spend practicing is a huge factor. Pick size is also something that makes a lot of difference in how you sound.

Absolute beginners should worry less on pick sizes but they should try holding picks with a good grip nonetheless.

A thinner pick will feel less sturdy and while it’s great for strumming, it won’t fare well when playing metal riffs or complex melodies. I find that a lighter pick does not sound as punchy as a thicker pick.

Picks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and heavier picks are very good for lead lines while I find that thinner picks have their place in acoustic strumming. Having a heavier pick also helps with pick techniques on an electric as it means you’ve got more control.

The Ideal Way To Hold A Pick For Beginners

I am not saying that you should hold your pick this way but I find that minimizing my arm motion and playing with my wrist allows me to have improved dynamic control.

I’ve also dropped my pick a bunch of times when playing– thanks to my sweaty hands, so these days, I stick to picks that have a solid grip.

There are many ways to hold picks but what I was taught, and has worked for me is- you put a pick between your thumb and index finger, and bend your index inwards. Push the pick in so only a small part of the pointed end is outside.

You want to use a small portion of the pick and alternate your strokes with minimum wrist movement. The smaller your motions are, the faster you’re able to play.

The Practical Way To Hold A Pick

The most common way to hold a pick is holding it between the thumb and index finger. That way, you can get some speed for tremolo picking but you risk losing the grip easily.

Some players also like holding the pick with their thumb and pinkie finger, apparently called L’il Buddha grip. I’ve tried to play this way but find it awkward.

It’s actually easier to hold a pick the wrong way than to hold it with a tight grip. So, it’s very important that you drill in good habits early on in your playing.

Alternate picking scales and arpeggios is a great exercise that not only helps you improve your dexterity but also musicality and expression if you do it mindfully.

Bluegrass players often use chicken picking, which is just using pick in conjunction with your fingers. It may feel odd at first, but just like any technique, you’ll get better at it with time and practice.

Whichever way you choose, you should only pick with a tiny portion of your pick so you have more control. I find that this lets me play any style of music I want as well.

Using Different Picks For Different Strings

There are many types of strings, and you can be really technical about it and say something like thicker string gauges responds well to a light pick, or that using a thinner pick on it will make you lose tone. But, I think it’s not that significant for a regular guitarist.

I would, however, recommend that you don’t use a pick on nylon string guitars as using fingers offers you better control over the dynamics and form.

If you are into fingerstyle, you can look into the thumb pick and must-have guitar accessories on our site too!

Do Picking Angle  And Position Affect Sound?

Absolutely!

If you are playing metal or fast shreddy licks, you want your pick to be firmly positioned in your fingers so you have more control over your picking techniques.

You can also experiment with pick angles to see which is the most comfortable for you.

Where you pick on the guitar also seems to produce a different. If you are picking the strings directly above the soundhole on an acoustic guitar, you get a louder sound, and if you are nearer to the bridge, you get a tinny distinct sound.

I like to play the strings a bit towards the neck but you’ll have to see for yourself what kind of sound you prefer.

Final Thoughts

Using a variety of picks is a great experience to add to your arsenal of skills in your guitar toolbox.

You can spice up familiar melodies with chicken picking and even add hip basslines. It comes in really handy when trying to master complex melodies.

I strongly recommend that you don’t stick to just using a pick and venture into some fingerstyle and chicken-picking so you have a diverse set of skills.

Regardless of how you choose to hold a pick, you should always avoid loose grips as they give you less dynamic control. Grip the pick tight, and practice economy of motion, and practice alternate picking early in your playing, and you should be improving fairly quickly in your guitar journey.

FAQ

Will playing with a pick make me faster?

Yes, and no!

In my personal experience, I’ve found that my speed improves drastically when using a thicker guitar pick compared to when I’m just playing with my fingers. It’s probably because I learnt to play with a pick early on, and even started my first lesson alternate picking open strings.

It all depends on what you’ve practiced and what gets engraved into your muscle memory. There are guys like Mark Knopfler who play just fine without a pick.

What pick do I use for a good rhythm tone?

I feel that using a thin pick for acoustic strumming and a thick one for playing single note lines works best for me. You should experiment with picks till you find the one that you like.

The simple truth is, after a few tries – you will find picks that you absolutely love.

How do I improve the grip on my guitar pick?

You can try wiping your hands and pick with a clean cloth before playing. You can also try sanding a portion of the plectrum so you have a rough surface for gripping.

Somehow, you stumble on videos of awesome virtuosos shredding on their ax, and they’ve got way too many pieces of gear that you can keep count of. If this seems familiar to you, then this article will be very helpful for you.

Acoustic guitars don’t need many gizmos to sound nice but electric guitars are a different story. You need an amp to make a sound and your musical journey will acquaint you fairly quickly with the world of guitar accessories that you may or may not use all the time.

I wrote this as a way to help my friend who was struggling to figure out what he needed to sound better. I meant to keep the list short and helpful, and most importantly – practical for the average beginner. A Marshall cabinet would be great for you, but sadly, you don’t have the budget for huge tube amps, do you?

In this short review, I will walk you through the essential guitar accessories that you really need. And if you’re kinda broke, I will try to add in a free alternative when possible so you cheer up! Let’s get started, shall we?

Best Guitar Accessories For Beginners | The Ultimate List

Tuner

A handy tuner is not just necessary for a guitarist, but for every musician that plays any instrument out there! You can ask any musician, and the one thing they value most in their musicality is intonation.

Even pianists get their huge pianos tuned every once in a while. The inside of a piano has many strings, and tuning them can take hours even for the most experienced guys. Apparently, the pay is quite high- seems like a lucrative career option to me!

Back to the point – it’s being in tune that differentiates a good violinist from a dying cat, right?

The same is the case for you, my friend. Nobody wants to hear a beginner guitarist strum out of tune, and if you live with your parents, you will only get ridiculed. Every single time!

Now, you absolutely need a tuner if you want to make any progress at all. You can certainly learn chords but if you aren’t even in tune, your ear won’t get used to the sounds, and you won’t be training your ear to hear those intervals any time soon.

You don’t need to get the most expensive tuner out there, though. When I was a beginner, I used to tune with an app on my phone. There are free apps like PitchLab that let you tune to any pitch, and this app is a personal favorite of mine.

If you don’t have a couple bucks to spare, you can also try the free mobile tuner by Pitchlab. It does let you tune easily but it’s not quite as good as a clip-on tuner. I prefer to keep distractions away while practicing, so I find that buying a tuner helps.

I suggest getting this cheap one by Snark that even has a metronome built-in. It’s one of the best-value tuners out there, and though the Monoprice Guitar Tuner has a neater interface, it’s pricier and doesn’t even have a metronome feature. If you are a beginner, you absolutely need a metronome, and that’s the reason why I’ve chosen this one.

Bestseller | Snark SN5X Chromatic Tuner

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Snark tuner has a crystal clear HD display and a cool metronome feature.

The portability is also a handy feature, and you can just put the Snark tuner in your pocket or the gigbag when not using it.

The tuner clamps tightly around the headstock, which is where I would recommend you put tuners, and the sleek design is incredibly practical.

Features

• Super cheap
• Fantastic display
• Metronome
• Easy to Use
• Convenient electronic tuner
• Also useful for violin, cello and ukuleles

Free | Pitchlab Chromatic Tuner (App)

Check FilePlanet

What We Think

The Pitchlab Lite is a mobile app that works like a charm. You just start the app, and go to the intuitive guitar tuner or the chromatic tuner to tune by looking at the notes,

As far as mobile apps go, this is my favorite one, and not just because it’s free! This app is super lightweight and unlike GuitarTuna that takes up lots of space, it loads up very quickly.

This app doesn’t have fancy features like chord games or songbooks but it’s perfect as a handy tuner. It’s also quite accurate though I find that a clip-on tuner is more reliable.

Features

• Free
• Chromatic tuner
• Can use to tune any instrument
• Super convenient to use
• Can use to figure out notes in melodies or chords

Allen Key

Have you ever noticed strings on some guitars being ridiculously high?

We, guitarists, like to call that the action of a guitar, not just because it sounds cool but also because we like to confuse newbies. If you notice that your guitar has high action, you take it to a luthier or a nearby guitar shop, and they somehow fix the issue.

What they are doing is just turning the truss rod inside a guitar neck so that the strings are back the way you like them.

You can do that at home too. You just need an Allen key and a slight turn in the right direction.

Bestseller | IVU Creator Allen Key Set

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The humble Allen Key is an investment in your guitar journey. It’s inexpensive and yet, when you need to make adjustments to the string height, it will save you time and money.

The key also comes with a set of six picks of varying thickness so you can experiment with the tone, and a carrying case.

If you like experimenting with metal or any other musical style that requires a precise string height, getting an Allen key is absolutely necessary. 

I think that it’s very important that you learn to take care of your instrument by yourself as early as possible. And the Allen key will certainly help!

Features

• Inexpensive
• Non slip celluloid picks
• Free case
• The set can also be used to tend to bicycles

A Reliable Guitar Stand

I’ve been guilty of leaving my guitars on the floor in the past. If you had been to my apartment, you could’ve seen my guitar on my couch, the dining table, bed (most often), and even by the door.

The guitar isn’t really a high-maintenance instrument like a violin but it does need a bit of care. You need to make sure that the humidity is correct, and that you aren’t constantly dropping the instrument on your floor.

My guitar has had its fair share of injuries and I wish I had gotten a guitar stand much sooner. Electric players will certainly see how a wall-mounted stand can help you prevent scratches and dents on your favorite guitar!

Bestseller | Hercules Stands GSP39WB Plus Hanger

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Hercules Stands hanger is one of the most reliable and affordable hangers out there. It’s less than 20$, is super easy to set up and is built out of sturdy materials.

If you have just one guitar and are tight on space, this guitar hanger will be just perfect for you!

Features

• Cheap
• Built to last
• Easy installation
• Flawless locking

A Looper Pedal

I know I said I would keep this list minimal and list only things that you absolutely need. Well, you can do without a looper but you would be missing out on something.

A looper is just something that lets you play something on your guitar and layer that on top of something new. This allows you to practice with a loop of chords (much like a traditional metronome but more fun) or create new harmonies.

Bestseller | Boss Loop Station RC-3

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Loops Station RC-3 is exactly what it says it is. It’s a handy pedal that lets you loop your own parts and improvise over them.

It’s also got a USB 2.0 port in case you would like to connect it to your computer.

Features

• Portable
• Can record for upto three hours
• 99 memory slots
• Easy to use
• Drum loops included
• Can use with headphones if you hook it up to a pc

Metronome

A metronome is a device that plays clicks or sounds to a fixed tempo. It can sound annoying when you first start, but the humble metronome is a time-tested way to get better at anything musical.

When it comes to getting a metronome, there are plenty of options for you. You can get a separate metronome which is what I recommend or a tuner with a built-in metronome.

If you don’t like the annoying click sounds, you can also try using an app called Chord Bot Lite that I am very fond of.

Free | Chordbot Lite (App)

Check Google Playstore

What We Think

Chordbot Lite is probably the best rhythm app I’ve ever come across. The pro version will let you export to MIDI/WAV but the free version also lets you use all the features except that.

It’s light in size, lets you choose from about 60 different chord choices, and has inversions, cool voicings, and everything you’ll ever need. The app also has preset rhythms and allows you to choose instrument parts as well.

The reason I suggest this over a metronome is that it’s way more fun than just practicing to a beat. There are also metronome click sounds in the app if you’re after that. You can use the app as a quick backing track maker too.

Features

• Free
• Song-O-Matic
• Huge variety of chords and voicings
• 400+ instrument tracks
• Great to get into advanced music theory
• Super easy to use

Capo

You may have heard that a true guitarist doesn’t use a capo. That’s just false!

A capo is just a tool to help you play different voicings out of a guitar. You use a machine-head tuner to help you stay in tune and even like cutaways so it’s convenient to hold your guitar. Then, why would you want to skip out on all the voicings having a capo can offer?

It’s important that you learn to play every chord without a capo. That’s actually way easier than you think and it’s just a matter of time if you practice barre chords diligently.

This capo works well for both electric and acoustic guitars but acoustic guitarists are sure to love it more!

Personal Favorite | UGY Capo for Guitar and Ukulele

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The UGY Capo is a neat and durable capo that is very easy to use. It works for both acoustic and electric guitars as well.

I have had one of these for years now, and can absolutely recommend them over any brand capo. It also works for ukulele and mandolin, so that’s great.

Features

• Inexpensive
• Built to last
• Free from fret buzz
• Bright sound
• Quick release
• Scratch resistant Silicone pads

Guitar strap

Every guitarist needs a guitar strap. Whether you choose to play sitting down or standing, a strap can help ensure that your picking arm is at the right height and you are using the proper technique.

It’s a good idea to practice standing if you are going to be standing at the gig.

Personal Favorite | Qielizi Adjustable Strap

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

It’s good to go with acoustic guitars and electric guitars. The reason I like this is that it’s super easy to put on your guitar, looks absolutely gorgeous and you can just focus on the playing.

Features

• 2′ strap width
• Great as a gift
• Easy to use
• Neat aesthetic
• Free two picks, a string and two strap locks

Thumb pick

The thumb pick is something that fingerstyle guitarists use for playing. It’s optional and you can do without it if you are not into fingerstyle.

If you do play with your fingers, having a thumb pick can give you that extra bit of power while picking the low strings.

Bestseller | D’Addario Thumb Picks

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

If you are looking for a thumb pick and your playing style is fingerstyle or percussive strumming, the D’Addario thumb picks are the best choice for you.

Guitar picks come in a all shapes and sizes and whether you get a lead pick or a thumb pick, these have got one thing in common- you will lose them soon enough! So, if you are getting these, make sure to not forget where you last placed them.

These do not have a single complaint from any customer, and while I kind of lost the first set of these I got, the second ones have lasted me many years.

Features

• Cheap
• Set of 5 picks
• Quality Celluloid picks
• Varying gauges

Good Strings

It goes without saying that if you are a guitarist, you are on an endless search for the best strings that do not cost a fortune. The tone separates a pro player from a beginner guitar player, and investing on a decent set of strings alone can save you a lot of time and trouble.

Good strings will let you bend to your heart’s content without snapping, and more importantly, will last a long time. These also have a good amount of tone and are easy to fret.

Personally, I like to play on light strings as these are way easier on my fingers.

Acoustic Strings | Martin Guitar MA540 Light Strings

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Martin Light acoustic guitar strings are quality strings that offer bright and crisp tones These are the pro players use while on stage.

Features

• Inexpensive
• Phosphor Bronze
• Exceptional tone
• Increased tuning stability

Other Accessories You May Want To Look Into

Thanks for reading to the end, and I hope that this shortlist of the best guitar accessories for beginners has helped you in some way. You can certainly get around some of the things on the list by using free alternatives.

In an attempt to keep the list super short, I’ve skipped out on things like string winders, guitar slides, and guitar cables. Those are also things you need often but for the sake of keeping it basic, I hope you’ll understand.

I recommend that you only get those things that you really need and not get into the habit of buying stuff you will never use.

FAQ

Which is the best guitar tuner?

There are many that make the top pick but I would advise you to get a chromatic tuner that shows you what notes you are playing. That way, you can use the same tuner for ukulele, banjo, mandolin, violin as well as pretty much any string instrument.

Getting one with a built-in metronome is also a good idea.

Is the guitar neck straight?

A good neck is straight but can get warped with time. You just adjust the truss rod alignment or take your guitar to a luthier and it’s an easy fix.

Does a guitar player need all of these accessories?

You do need to own a tuner and a strap for obvious reasons. I have kept the list pretty short and inexpensive, but you still don’t need to have everything if you don’t feel like you would be using it on a daily basis.

Owning Allen key and spare strings will help you stay prepared for anything in the future though.

How important are guitar accessories for beginners?

Most accessories are really non-essential for beginners. As a rule of thumb, anything that doesn’t directly help you can be skipped.

While it’s alright to start your guitar journey on a cheap crappy guitar, learning on a beautiful mid-range acoustic guitar that not only looks nice but also sounds fantastic can really be the spark that motivates you to move forward.

Practicing is a huge part of learning anything on the guitar. In fact, even doing a simple 4/4 strum while changing between the basic open-position chords takes a good amount of practice. It takes lots of time and effort to build the necessary muscle memory, so if you’re stuck with an instrument you don’t like, it can further slow you down.

Mid-range guitars do not cost as much as premium guitars and have decent playability as well as tone, so there’s not much to complain about. For an acoustic, the construction and build materials really affect the overall acoustics, so it’s very important that you get a decent one.

The G9500 is a pretty popular instrument among those of us just starting out, and most reviews on the net are filled with happy positive comments.

In this short Gretsch Jim Dandy review, we take a look at how the Gretsch acoustic guitar is made and see how it fares as a beginner-intermediate guitar in the medium price range. Let’s get into it!

Review of Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Acoustic

Too lazy to read the full review? Here’s the quick summary!

Check Price on Amazon

What We Think

The Gretsch Jim Dandy acoustic is a versatile acoustic guitar not only suited for the clueless beginner but also for seasoned veteran players out there.

Made out of fine materials and providing an excellent playability, it’s an absolute delight to hold in your hands. It’s just about perfect for anything you might want to play, and it’s a great value for the price.

Features

• Fantastic tone
• Excellent choice of wood materials
• Beautiful rosewood frets on a budget guitar

Are Gretsch Guitars Any Good?

So far, my experience with Gretsch guitars has been great. One of my friends used to have an old Gretsch that he’d gotten as a family heirloom and that thing was a beauty!

It played great, and when I did buy one of these for myself, I have to say- I wasn’t disappointed. The Gretsch brand is consistent with the quality of instruments they make, and every guitar they make seems to be well-made with a lot of care and effort put in.

Size

The G9500 Jim Dandy acoustic isn’t a full-size guitar. It is what’s called a parlor guitar with a ¾ scale.

A ¾ scale is a bit smaller than the standard 25” length between the nut of the guitar and the point on the bridge where the string remains attached.

With slightly smaller frets and a comfortable neck radius, it’s very easy to play, especially if you have small hands.

Even if you have normal hands, it doesn’t make much of a difference. It does save some space when you’re packing up or just want to de-clutter your home.

The rather portable size of this instrument also makes it an ideal instrument to gift your young ones as a serious learning instrument.

Construction Materials And Aesthetics

The wood used on this is a pretty decent one called Agathis, with tonal characteristics similar to basswood. It’s inexpensive but not that bad, so it’s okay.

It’s certainly not the best out there, but considering the price of the Jim Dandy Acoustic, at least it’s not plywood! A solid body top is certainly better than laminated woods when it comes to resonance and sustain but it’s a necessary sacrifice here.

Agathis is pretty cheap and resembles basswood. It is said to be not as strong and have less sustain than other tonewoods.

You can hardly expect to find top-end mahogany on this as you are paying a low price. But you’d be surprised to know that this one has got a rosewood fingerboard.

Rosewood is mostly used on instruments at the upper end of the price spectrum, and it makes the neck on the G9500 acoustic look beautiful.

I prefer bone nuts on my guitars. It’s more of an aesthetic thing really, but I find that upgrading the cheap plastic nut to a decent bone nut can make improve intonation and slightly improves the tone as well.

As far as the build is concerned, there are no obvious flaws like sharp edges or blemishes on the body of the guitar. It’s top-notch Gretsch quality and looks beautiful.

The Classic Gretsch logo atop the headstock also looks nice. The build looks and feels very sturdy which is obviously a good thing!

Tuning

The Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy acoustic doesn’t have the coolest tuning machines but the ones here work fine. These keep tune for a reasonable period unless you’re doing bends everywhere.

In my experience, it’s more important to have tuning heads that move smoothly than some cool-looking tuners that are a pain when tuning up the strings.

Neck

The Jim Dandy Acoustic has a comfy neck with a 12” radius, which is to say that it has a slight curve that makes fretting notes easier.

In general, it’s easier to play those tricky barres on necks with slim profiles than on a big one. The parlor form-factor helps with narrower frets which means that you’ll have an easier time fretting the strings if you’ve got small hands.

It’s also got Pearloid inlays which nicely compliment the beautiful rosewood texture. The travel-sized guitar has a nato neck which is pretty good.

The neck has a truss rod inside in case the neck warps some time in the future. You just need an Allen key to rotate the truss rod and you’re done adjusting the string action.

Body

At first glance, the Agathis body looks like a dreadnought but it’s a slimmer elegant version of that.

The lack of a cutaway above the soundhole gives the Jim Dandy acoustic a distinctive appearance.

I kind of like how it looks. When I think of an acoustic, I really don’t think about playing sixteenths above the twelfth fret, so it’s absolutely okay to not have a cutaway there.

The simple aesthetics of this acoustic guitar are a defining touch to the design. The Jim Dandy flat top is beautiful and it feels more like a travel guitar.

As for the bracing, it’s got X-bracing. If you are new to the term, it just means that the top has two X-shaped pieces of wood glued underneath that give strength to the top.

There’s actually much more involved than that, but it’s okay to just think of it as something that will actually keep the ball ends in place, and prevent the top from collapsing.

Just like the choice of woods and strings, the bracing also affects the sound. X-bracing on this particular guitar produces a bright resonant sound.

The bridge on this is also a rosewood one just like on the higher end guitars, which, as you might already know that I’m a huge fan of. The rosewood bridge is quite sturdy and the select guitar woods make it a great guitar!

Another interesting thing about the bridge on this is that unlike the bridges found on most guitars, Jim Dandy Acoustic has the ball ends of strings tied on the bridge instead of tucked under the bridge.

This doesn’t do much for the acoustics but certainly gives off a classy vibe. The pickguard with Gretsch lettering on it has a neutral shade and makes the body look really elegant.

To be honest, the thing I like most about Gretsch acoustic guitars is the smooth humble pickguards

When you place the Gretsch G9500 on your lap, the first thing you’ll notice is the matty finish that helps you play for longer hours. The glossy neck tends to get sticky during practice time, so I prefer to stay away from gloss ones in general.

Generally, I would prefer full-size acoustic guitars to parlor size guitars with x bracing but in this case, I prefer the Jim Dandy acoustic despite it being a short-scale guitar.

How does it sound?

It’s not just the wood and construction that play their part in making or breaking the sound of an acoustic guitar but also the strings. A cheap crappy set of strings can make even the most excellent acoustic instrument played by an expert sound like a dying cat.

It’s an inexpensive guitar but doesn’t sound like a cheap guitar at all.

Gretsch includes a 12 gauge D’Addario string set right off the bat which is fine for beginners and most intermediates. It’s actually okay for pros too- as this thickness of strings lends well to fingerstyle and blues, and has a fairly fat tone.

I do a lot of string bending and string note runs, and prefer to be able to play fast passages, and lighter string gauges just react better to my fingers. So, I would swap the stock strings out for an inexpensive set of lighter strings, but you don’t necessarily have to.

It’s a well-made acoustic guitar, so of course- it sounds great for casual strumming and campfire gigs. It’s also good for anything from folk to delta blues and bluegrass, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to play something on this.

I like experimenting with percussive sounds on my acoustic guitar. The Jim Dandy acoustic has a crisp bass and sharp top notes which makes it an ideal guitar for learning and performing percussive fingerstyle as well.

If there’s one thing I don’t like about mid-range acoustics, it’s that these don’t always come set up properly. As a lead player, I tend to play single-note lines a lot, and sounding off-tune can kill the motivation to pick up guitar.

The Good

• Inexpensive
• Quality build
• Good for small hands
• Great for both beginners and intermediate players
• Versatile

The Bad

• Not a solid body, so poor bass
• Need to replace the nut

Closing Thoughts

Gretsch G9500 is a broke beginner’s dream guitar in being affordable with excellent playability and tone.

The aesthetics and construction are on point, and I’m not even lying when I say that this is one of my favorites among mid-range acoustic guitars (mostly because one of my friends used to own this, and also because I absolutely love Gretsch guitars!)

It even has rosewood frets which just look beautiful.

The Jim Dandy acoustic is great for the price point, but don’t take my word for it. You can check reviews on any site, and I assure you- most reviews are positive from happy buyers.

FAQ

Are the stock strings good?

The stock ones are gauge 12 D’Addario ones, so they’re pretty good and sound nice.

There’s no need to change strings unless they’re breaking or rusty unless you’re playing for gigs or have a preferred set of strings.

Will I need to upgrade to a more expensive guitar soon after I buy a mid-range one?

Guitar players like to think that the ideal number of guitars you should own is always one plus the number of guitars you already have.

A mid-range like the Gretsch Jim Dandy acoustic is a great investment for anybody. It’s well set-up and has excellent playability, so you don’t have to worry about upgrading any time soon.

It works for percussive strumming as well as Spanish-style playing too. The only reason I can think of for upgrading to another guitar, is if you are trying to learn tapping or shredding or legato, for which an electric guitar is better suited anyway.