Latest articles by Ross Holder
The best electric guitars under $500
Our top cheap electric guitars that deliver killer tones, slick playability, and serious bang for your buck from Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha and more
Best distortion pedals: the top high-gain stompboxes for guitarists
Crunch, filth, mayhem! Dive into our expert round-up of the best distortion pedals available today
"If you banish the desire for any real bass thump, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had in the sounds you can coax out of this thing": Yamaha JR1 acoustic guitar review
Is this pint-sized dread Yamaha's ultimate beginner acoustic? Let's find out
Guitar Tricks just dropped a whole year of guitar lessons to only $99 thanks to this impressive 89% off Black Friday offer
Not only do you get an All-Access subscription, but this deal also includes 100s of dollars in bonus content to make you a better player
From Kalamazoo with love – score a colossal $1,300 off this gorgeous Heritage semi-hollow steeped in electric guitar history for Black Friday
Get your hands on custom shop spec, authenticity, style, and serious history, all with 30% off
Every single JHS pedal has been given a Black Friday discount up to 25% at Sweetwater – and yes, it includes the Color Box, Morning Glory and Angry Charlie
With 63 pedals on sale and up to $113 off, now's the time to add a JHS to your pedalboard
Looking for useful Christmas gifts for guitarists under $20? Here's my pick of 10 affordable accessories every guitar player actually needs
Supercharge your gifting with home practice and gigbag essentials that won't break the bank – recommended by a professional guitar salesman
The PRS pre-Black Friday sale is bigger than ever, with massive 40th anniversary discounts up to $220 on SE guitars and more – and yes, it includes the 5-star PRS SE NF 53
The sale covers SE, PRS Core and S2 models, alongside a selection of amps. If you've been thinking of joining the PRS crew, now's your chance to save big
Best bass strings 2025: Optimize tone, feel and lifespan
Our expert pick of strings to bring the low-end thunder from Ernie Ball, D’Addario, Rotosound and more
"A simple move up the neck can open up new voicings, textures, and moods you would never get from standard open chords": 5 creative ways to use a capo
A capo can offer your playing so much more than a key change. Here are my favorite creative ways to use a capo
Best basses for metal 2025: our selection of the best basses for heavy music across all budgets
From Rickenbacker to Ibanez and Schecter, our picks of the best metal basses will help you sound heavier than ever before
Best 5-string bass guitars 2025: from budget workhorses to high-end boutique beasts
Need that low B? We’ve handpicked the best 5-string bass guitars from Yamaha, Fender, Ibanez, and more – whatever your price range
There are few things in life I hate more than re-stringing my guitars, but with packs from as little as 83 cents per string this Prime Day, I've run out of excuses
Prime Day is the place to make bulk-buy savings on your favorite strings right now, including models for electric, acoustic and bass
I bought the HX Stomp years ago and it's still one of my smartest gear purchases - get up to $200 off Line 6 in the Sweetwater sale
Most Line 6 purchases will also come bundled with a free Eminence IR sampler pack
These are the best 4th of July acoustic guitar deals I’ve ever seen – here’s the 9 models I’d buy
Forget Prime Day! From Taylor and Martin to Yamaha and Alhambra, the best 4th of July acoustic guitar deals are here and they’re up to 40% off
Best guitar slides: every budget and material covered, plus how to choose the right slide for you
Getting into the bluesy world of slide guitar? From Shubb and Dunlop, to Taylor and Ernie Ball, these are our top choices
Best cheap looper pedals 2025: bang-for-your-buck loopers for your ’board
Score a looper for under $80 and spark your creativity with our pick of the best budget pedals from TC Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Boss and more
Best guitars for beginners: epic entry-level acoustic and electric guitars
Start playing today with our pick of great beginner guitars from Squier, Ibanez, Yamaha and more
Best Strat-style guitars 2025: Our choice of the finest S-style guitars for all budgets and players
Don’t want a Fender? Here’s our expert pick of the top Strat-style electric guitars from the likes of Ibanez, Yamaha, G&L, PRS and more
Best pitch shifter pedals: an essential tool for channeling Tom Morello, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani
For face-melting solos and keeping your audience on their toes, pitch shifters are a surefire way to inject something different into your tone
6 signs it's time to upgrade from your first acoustic guitar
Is your first acoustic guitar holding you back? Here are six signs that it is time to upgrade your starter instrument to something better
5 common excuses for not learning the guitar – and 5 body and mind-boosting reasons you should
Always wanted to learn the guitar, but keep making excuses? These are the most common ones I've heard – and why they don’t hold up
Best budget multi-effects pedals: access a world of effects at a reasonable price
More is more with these budget do-it-all bargains from Zoom, Line 6, Mooer and NUX
“Trust me, the Hizumitas isn’t just a pedal – it’s an experience”: I swore off pedals, but Sweetwater’s time-limited 20% off EarthQuaker Devices Cyber Monday sale is too tempting to ignore
With 57 EarthQuaker Devices pedals on sale, this Cyber Monday is set to fill pedalboards across the land – here are my top picks
We think the Boss Gen 3 Katanas are some of the very best amps in the business – and there's still enough time to get up to 25% off these do-it-all amps
From the brand new Katana 50 Gen 3 to the gig-ready Katana-110 for bassists, Sweetwater has cut prices on a range of the best-selling amps
