Guides & Tutorials
Practical how-to guides, setup tutorials, and educational content from experienced musicians.
Setup and repair
Guitar Calibration: What to Check First
Guitar calibration usually means dialing in the setup: neck relief, string action, intonation, pickup height, tuning stability, and basic hardware checks. Start with the full setup sequence, then use the intonation guide if chords sound out of tune above the fifth fret.
Best Acoustic-Electric Guitar for Beginners: Complete Guide
Best acoustic-electric guitars under $500 for beginners. We tested 8 models on tone, playability, and electronics, top picks for every style.
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Best Electric Guitar Under $400 for Beginners and Advancing Players
Five electric guitars under $400 tested and ranked, from the Squier Classic Vibe to the PRS SE Standard 24. Find the right one for your style and budget.
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Best Compressor Pedal Settings for Clean Guitar Tone
Compressor pedals are misunderstood. Learn how to set threshold, ratio, attack, and release for sparkling cleans without squashing your dynamics.
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Best Delay Pedal Settings for Ambient Guitar
Create lush ambient guitar soundscapes with these delay pedal settings. Covers dotted eighth, slapback, shimmer, and pad textures.
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Fender Stratocaster Buyer's Guide: Every Model Compared
Every Fender Stratocaster model compared, Squier to American Ultra II. Find which Strat fits your budget and skill level in 2026.
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Guitar Pedal Power Supply Compatibility Guide
Avoid frying your pedals. Learn voltage, polarity, and current draw so you pick the right power supply for every pedal on your board.
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How to Adjust Pickup Height for Better Guitar Tone
Pickup height dramatically affects your tone, output, and string balance. Learn the correct measurements and how to dial in your pickups.
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How to Choose and Use an Expression Pedal for Guitar
Expression pedals control parameters in real time. Learn compatibility, sweep range, TRS vs TS, and which pedals to pair with your board.
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How to Fix Active Pickup Battery Drain on Guitar
Active pickup battery dying fast? Learn why EMG and Fishman pickups drain batteries, how to extend battery life, and when to switch to rechargeable.
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How to Intonate Your Guitar at Home (Step-by-Step Guide)
Guitar intonation off? Learn how to check and adjust intonation on electric and acoustic guitars so every fret plays in tune. Free, 20-minute fix.
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How to Reduce Guitar Amp Hum and Buzz (Fix Guide)
Guitar amp hum ruins your tone. Learn the 7 most common causes of amp buzz and how to fix each one, from ground loops to bad cables.
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How to Reduce Pedalboard Noise: A Guitarist's Fix Guide
Kill pedalboard hum, buzz, and hiss for good. Covers power isolation, signal chain order, cable quality, and gain staging for a silent rig.
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How to Set Up a Stratocaster Tremolo System
Get your Strat tremolo working perfectly. Step-by-step guide to spring tension, float height, tuning stability, and string break angle.
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Fender Player Stratocaster Review: Worth $849 vs Squier?
Fender Player Strat reviewed after 6 months of daily use, sound, build quality, and whether it's worth $849 over a Squier or used American Standard.
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Where to Buy Used Guitars: Reverb vs Guitar Center vs Craigslist
Where to find the best deals on used guitars in 2026. Reverb wins for selection, Guitar Center Used for hands-on inspection, Craigslist for local steals.
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Yamaha Pacifica 112V Review: The Best Beginner Electric Guitar Under $300?
The Yamaha Pacifica 112V has been a beginner standby for 20 years. After extensive testing, we explain why, and who should look elsewhere.
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Best Gifts for Guitarists: 20 Ideas Under $50
20 gift ideas guitarists actually want, all under $50. Picks, capos, tuners, straps and accessories, tested and approved by a 20-year guitarist.
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Best Online Guitar Lessons: GuitarTricks vs Fender Play vs Justin Guitar
We compared every major online guitar lesson platform. GuitarTricks wins for structured learning, Justin Guitar for free, Fender Play for absolute beginners.
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Boss Katana-50 MkII Review: The Practice Amp That Replaced My Tube Amp
After 6 months of daily use, here's our in-depth Boss Katana-50 MkII review. Spoiler: at $230, it's the best amp under $500 for home players.
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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Review: Still the Best Budget Audio Interface
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen: the world's best-selling audio interface. After 6 months of daily studio use, here's why it still dominates.
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Guitar Maintenance: 7 Essential Care Tips
These 7 guitar maintenance habits, from string cleaning to humidity control, take minutes per week but prevent costly repairs and keep your tone alive.
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How to Get Better Guitar Tone
Your guitar tone is shaped by a dozen variables. This guide breaks down every link in the signal chain, from fingers to amp, and how to optimize each.
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Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer Review: 40 Years of the World's Greatest Overdrive
The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer has defined blues and rock guitar tone since 1982. After 6 months of testing across 3 amps, here's why it earns its legend.
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How to Tune a Guitar: Every Method Explained
Learn 5 guitar tuning methods, clip-on, app, pedal, by ear, and harmonics, with step-by-step instructions for standard and alternate tunings.
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Yamaha FG800 Review: The Best Beginner Acoustic Guitar
After 3 months of daily testing, the Yamaha FG800 earns its reputation as the best beginner acoustic guitar under $300. Here's what makes it exceptional.
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8 Essential Guitar Chords Every Beginner Must Learn
Master these 8 open chords and you can play thousands of songs. Step-by-step finger placement, practice tips, and common mistakes to avoid.
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The Perfect Beginner Guitar Practice Routine (30 Minutes a Day)
90% of beginner guitarists quit within year one. This structured 30-minute daily practice routine covers warmup, chords, scales, and songs.
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5 Guitar Scales Every Beginner Should Learn (With Diagrams)
50 million guitarists worldwide and most start with these 5 essential scales. Master pentatonic, blues, major, minor, and modes step by step.
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How to Change Guitar Strings: The Complete Guide
Step-by-step guide to changing acoustic and electric guitar strings with photos. Learn when to change, which strings to buy, and pro tips for staying in tune.
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How to Record Guitar at Home
Recording the guitar at home in 2026: direct input vs amp mic, audio interface setup, beginner gear, DAWs, amp sims, levels, and acoustic mic placement.
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Guitar Setup Guide: Action, Intonation & Truss Rod
A proper guitar setup costs $50-$75 at a shop. Here is how to do it yourself with basic tools, adjust action, truss rod, and intonation.
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Guitar Pedals Explained: Types & How to Choose
The $3.8 billion guitar pedals market offers hundreds of options. Learn every effect type, from overdrive to delay, with audio examples and buying advice.
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How to Read Guitar Tabs: The Complete Beginner's Guide
Learn to read guitar tablature in minutes. 16M+ new guitarists use tabs as their first notation, our guide covers every symbol, technique, and shortcut.
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