Black Friday guitar deals 2025 LIVE: all the biggest savings at Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Fender, Amazon and more that are still live
I'm rounding up all the hottest, still-live guitar, amp, pedal and accessory deals in the Black Friday sales. Stick with me for all of the biggest news, deals, tips and tricks for saving money
1. Quick links
2. Editor's picks
3. Electric guitar deals
4. Acoustic guitar deals
5. Amp deals
6. Pedal deals
7. Accessory deals
8. LIVE: latest updates
Even though the titular Black Friday has come and gone, make no mistake, the biggest guitar gear sale of 2025 is still going strong. The Black Friday guitar deals are still LIVE. And that means this is the time to save on a new guitar or amp, pick up a first instrument for a child or partner, try a new pedal for less, or simply stock up on strings.
But who can you turn to to find the deals that actually count? Why, your buddies from Guitar World, who are scouring the discounts on guitar gear from all corners of the web, and sharing the very best right here, updated throughout the day.
If you want to kick off the shopping spree right away, Sweetwater has discounts of up to 80% off on over 5,000 products. Over at Guitar Center, they’re offering up to 40% off in their official Black Friday sale, alongside a 15% off coupon on eligible items when you spend over $199. And if you're in the UK or Europe, Thomann's Cyber Week sale is the place to shop, with money off signature models, Harley Benton, and more. They've added new deals today, too.
Though some deals have sold out, many more are still arriving, and we'll keep updating this live hub around the clock with the best Black Friday guitar deals, plus our own advice, shopping tips, and personal purchases. As a team, we've been covering Black Friday sales for many, many moons, so you can trust us to fill you in on the best savings.
Below, you’ll also find links to all the current sales, along with handpicked deals from the GW team. We’ve also organized everything by category to make your shopping experience as smooth as possible.
Welcome to day 3 of Black Friday… LIVE!
⚡ Black Friday guitar deals: Quick links
- 📈 TODAY'S MOST POPULAR
- Amazon: Black Friday instrument deals
- Positive Grid: Up to $50 Spark savings
- Fender: Up to 30% off mega sale
- Guitar Center: Up to 40% Black Friday sale
- Guitar Tricks:
$899$99 annual sub - Sweetwater: Up to 80% off Black Friday sale
- Thomann: Up to 70% off Cyber Week sale
- 🇺🇸 US deals
- B&H Photo: Epic Black Friday deals
- Fender store: Player II Strat lowest price ever
- IK Multimedia: Up to $150 off Tonex
- Musician's Friend: Black Friday 60% off sale
- Native Instruments: Over 50% off UA bundle
- Plugin Boutique: 100s of software savings
- Reverb: Black Friday 20% off
- TrueFire: All-access annual sub only $79
- Universal Audio: 12 Days of UAD software sale
- Waves: Huge plugin bundle deals up to 95% off
- 🇬🇧 UK deals
- Gear4Music: Black Friday deals are live
- Guitar Tricks:
$899$99 annual sub - IK Multimedia: 33 plugins for the price of 1
- Native Instruments: Over 50% off UA bundle
- Plugin Boutique: 100s of software savings
- Positive Grid: Spark bundle savings
- Reverb: 20% off BF deals
- Universal Audio: 12 Days of UAD software sale
- Waves: Huge plugin bundle deals up to 95% off

While I'm the most recent addition to the Guitar World writing team, I've been a touring musician for years now – so I know a thing or two about buying equipment that can withstand the rigors of flights and bumpy van rides. One piece of gear can make or break your show, so I'm always on the hunt for deals on pedals, guitars, strings, capos, and other bits and bobs that will not only elevate your playing and tone but, most importantly, make it a hassle-free experience.

By my count, this is my fifth time covering Black Friday. And ya know what? I don’t think I’ve been this giddy about gear deals in all my travels as a guitar journalist. Honest. My guitar rig has been completely reinvented over the past few years thanks to come choice gear picks, so I know exactly just how game-changing one simple purchase could be. That’is why I take the whole Black Friday season very seriously – if I can help you find something that can have a similarly positive impact on your playing, I’ll consider that a job well done.

I can't quite believe it as my fingers hit the keyboard to form the words, but this is my eighth time covering Black Friday deals for my beloved GuitarWorld.com. I can tell you that I've genuinely, on multiple occasions during those years, written up a deal, then actually gone ahead and taken advantage of it myself. Even if you're not in the position to spend hundreds or more on a guitar or amp or such, this is always a perfect time to grab a capo, set of strings, or a pick at a bargain – I would know, I'm in the market for all three!

I am GuitarWorld.com’s Deputy Editor and also its resident deal cynic, but I will still hop around excitedly when I think something is a genuine deal and worthy of your consideration. I am the guy with the spreadsheet, the price trackers and who family and friends hit up on WhatsApp when they need to buy a washing machine. I am probably not a lot of fun at house parties, but quite handy at this time of year...

I’ve been covering Black Friday guitar deals for at least seven years, probably more, so you can rest assured that I’ve got an eagle eye for offers at this stage. As a gigging and recording guitarist, I’m always on the lookout for any excuse to expand my gear collection, which makes Black Friday a rather expensive time of year for me. You might think BF is a soulless endeavor, but I take pride in helping guitarists identify the gear that inspires them at a price they can afford. There’s a song in every guitar, amp or pedal, and I want to help you find it. Or, heck, just get you a good deal on strings and picks.
🥇 Editors' picks
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Walrus Audio Fundamental Series: $99 now from $79
Walrus Audio’s answer to the JHS 3 Series, the Fundamental Series pedals are almost just as affordable, equally easy to use, and also cover a vast tonal range. Here, there are three voices per pedal, and (get this) sliders to control the parameters. Nifty, eh? A selection of fuzz, overdrive, distortion, reverb and all sorts of other pedals are now available from $79 thanks to Guitar Center’s discount.
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JHS 3 Series pedals: Was $99 now $74.25 each
Even at $99, the JHS 3 Series pedals are a bargain. The comprehensive lineup covers quite literally all tonal bases – overdrive, distortion, chorus, fuzz, delay, screamer, reverb and tremolo included – and each unit is so easy to use it practically operates itself: just three control knobs and mode-switching toggles. Plus, they’re built by JHS, so you know you’re investing in a top quality pedal. They are now a generous 25% off at Guitar Center.
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The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster is a cult classic that has become a genuine favorite among all manner of players for its bold looks and stripped-back spec. Used prices went through the roof a few years ago, but move quickly and you can snap one up for under $400 at Sweetwater.
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Over 200 PRS guitars and amps have been reduced for Black Friday. Yep, you read that right: over 200 guitars and amps, from the cheapest SE to the priciest Core model, including Mark Tremonti’s fire-breathing MT 100 head and John Mayer’s Silver Sky. Mark my words, this is one of Black Friday 2025’s best guitar offers.
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Boss’ Katana 50 is the new benchmark for modern practice amplifiers. It’s got more juice than a Sicilian lemon, more tone than 80s Schwarzenegger, and more versatility than Matthew McConaughey – thanks to its unbelievably-good digital modeling technology, including a Tube Logic modeling system that adds realistic valve-y feel to your chosen tone. Throw in some serious connectivity and you’ve got a beginner-friendly workhorse that’ll see you right through to thousand-cap venues. Read our 4.5-star review.
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Boss' Katana:Go Mini is one of the best headphone amps available and at $99 across Cyber Weekend, it's temporarily the most affordable option in its class, too – significantly undercutting the likes of Fender's Mustang Micro Plus or Blackstar's BEAM.
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I’m gonna let you in on a secret: the FOD Drive is just a rebadged Dookie Drive – ya know, the pedal that captures Billie Joe Armstrong’s sought-after modded Marshall Plexi crunch from the Green Day album of the same name. Which makes this $99 deal an absolute bargain. A blend knob goes between two different amp characters, allowing you to fine-tune your gain, while a three-way scoop switch gets those mids dialed in juuuust right. Get it! Now!
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With everybody raving about the new Oasis guitars, this Epiphone Les Paul Custom P-90 caught my eye over at Guitar Center. It's got a hefty $150 discount, and the black and gold aesthetic with dual P-90 pickups gives it a look not too dissimilar to Noel's new guitar, for much less money.
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Not a fan of flashy flame tops? Well, this might just be the LP of your dreams. This Gibson Les Paul Standard ’60s boasts the classic design that’s kept this solidbody electric guitar relevant for decades, but ditches the flames for an understated Sparkling Burgundy plain top. Save a whopping $600 at Sweetwater.
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With a lightweight alder body, maple neck, Alnico V pickups and a coil-split humbucker, this guitar delivers everything in one attractive, tonally versatile package which is ideal for learners. It’s available in a load of colours, but we love this Sonic Blue finish. Read our full 5-star review.
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Universal Audio: Free plugin!
Choose from one of ten different plugins free of charge with this amazing deal over at the Universal Audio website. From classic compressors to tape saturation, there’s something for everyone here, but you’ll need to act fast because they’re only available from November 27 to December 1.
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This mini Stratocaster is a great buy for the new guitar player, or just someone who wants a good quality travel electric. The small scale makes it ideal for younger children, adults with smaller hands, or anyone who prefers the compact feel of a short-scale guitar. With a sweet $30 off the price at Musician's Friend, it's a great buy for beginner guitar players.
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Guitar Tricks: Black Friday bundle, $899 $99
Right now you can score the best-value offer of the year on our number one online lessons platform for guitarists. For only $99, you'll get a full access subscription, plus a fantastic beginner bundle, including a custom lesson plan, a beginner bootcamp, the 100 Essential Licks series, a guitar setup guide and loads more. For the full package you'd usually pay $899, but all this works out at just $8.25 per month. Can you put a price on quality education? Actually, you can when it's this cheap.
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Kickstart 2026 with a new practice and learning regime, thanks to this insanely low-priced guitar lessons deal from TrueFire. We’re big fans of the unrivalled volume of content, the huge range of star tutors and the learning paths which help you along the way in a carefully-crafted way. Read our full 4.5-star TrueFire review.
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It might not be as exciting as a new guitar or pedal, but quality guitar cables are a must for any guitarist. Over at the Musician's Friend early Black Friday sale, we spotted this Boss Instrument/Patch cable bundle with a nice $10 discount. It features a single instrument cable and two patch cables, making it a great buy for guitarists who need to stock up for less.
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The 110ce is a dreadnought acoustic-electric with a solid Sitka spruce top and layered sapele back and sides. Our review praised its excellent fit and finish and its naturally balanced tonality throughout, delivering serious performance well below $1K. It also packs Taylor’s Expression System 2 pickup. For our money, this is the best pound-for-pound acoustic in the price bracket. Read our full 4.5 star review.
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Guitar wireless systems used to be crazy expensive, so this deal on the Xvive U2 Wireless System is a great reminder of just how far we've come in terms of the technology. With a $45 reduction at Musican's Friend, this wireless kit is superb value for money, and the freeing feeling of doing away with cables is a convenience that all guitarists really need to experience.
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At half price over at the official UA website, the UAD Guitar Amp Bundle is a stunning deal for players who use an audio interface or like to record their playing. It includes four iconic guitar amps, including a trio of the most recorded amps ever with models on the Fender Deluxe Reverb, Marshall Plexi, and the Vox AC30 included. You also get the Woodrow 55 which is based on a Fender Tweed amp.
Electric guitar deals
Beginner guitars
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This ‘50s-style Strat gives crisp alnico pickups, a vintage-tint maple neck and classic tremolo, exactly the tone and feel you want in a beginner’s first serious guitar. It comes with a bunch of essential extras such as a strap, bag and cable, and it also looks properly smart in this Surf Green finish! Read our full 4.5-star review.
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With a lightweight alder body, maple neck, Alnico V pickups and a coil-split humbucker, this guitar delivers everything in one attractive, tonally versatile package which is ideal for learners. It’s available in a load of colours, but we love this Sonic Blue finish. Read our full 5-star review.
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A full-hollow maple body and Broad’Tron BT-3S humbuckers (with coil-split) give warm jazz tones, bright rock chording and classy sustain, perfect for beginners who want something soulful and versatile. Read our full 4.5-star review.
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This mini Stratocaster is a great buy for the new guitar player, or just someone who wants a good quality travel electric. The small scale makes it ideal for younger children, adults with smaller hands, or anyone who prefers the compact feel of a short-scale guitar. With a sweet $30 off the price at Musician's Friend, it's a great buy for beginner guitar players.
Fender & Squier
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The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster is a cult classic that has become a genuine favorite among all manner of players for its bold looks and stripped-back spec. Used prices went through the roof a few years ago, but move quickly and you can snap one up for under $400 at Sweetwater.
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This MIA Telecaster features a unique spruce body, which is a rarity amongst Fender guitars. The bright and responsive tone of spruce is a perfect match for that classic Telecaster twang, and it's a really cool, fresh take on the tried-and-tested Tele formula. With a massive $320 reduction in the Sweetwater early Black Friday sale, it's the perfect way to pick up a guitar different from all the rest for much less.
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Guitar Center and Fender have teamed-up to launch this limited edition Aurora finish, available for both the Ultra II Precision Bass and HSS Stratocaster. It’s a jaw-dropping colorway, shimmering between blue and gold.
Gibson & Epiphone
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Not a fan of flashy flame tops? Well, this might just be the LP of your dreams. This Gibson Les Paul Standard ’60s boasts the classic design that’s kept this solidbody electric guitar relevant for decades, but ditches the flames for an understated Sparkling Burgundy plain top. Save a whopping $600 at Sweetwater.
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At first, I wasn't quite won over by this guitar's looks, but once I got my hands on it, everything changed. In person, the shape just made more sense, and to my delight, this guitar is not only incredibly playable but also delivers those classic Gibson tones that we all adore. I actually ended up buying one myself! Save $200 at Sweetwater.
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The sought-after Bats In Flight range was a Guitar Center exclusive that debuted in 2019 and quickly became a collector’s favorite. Now it’s back for a limited time, complete with the first affordable option: the $899.99 Epiphone Bats In Flight Les Paul Custom
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This Guitar Center exclusive was released only a matter of weeks ago, and for Black Friday, it's already receiving a hefty $150 discount!
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Jimi’s original started life with a sunburst finish before he sprayed it black and hand-painted the ‘Love Drops’ design himself. That brings us neatly to the Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom Jimi Hendrix Love Drops Flying V. For us, we think the Love Drops is a great statement guitar. It looks fantastic, plays well, and sounds superb, particularly in the neck position.
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Guitars don’t come much classier than this limited-edition Inspired By Gibson Epiphone "Tuxedo" Les Paul Custom. Thanks to the Antique Ivory finish, it's a drop-dead stunner, and it’s got the tones to match, which arrive courtesy of the creamy ProBuckers. Its spec sheet has got the DNA of a classic Gibson, but the unique aesthetics will ensure you stand out in a sea of regular old burst-finished Les Pauls.
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Grohl’s Gibson has become iconic, and now with the Epiphone replica, you can bag that famous Foos sound at a fraction of the cost. Loaded with Gibson USA pickups, with a Burstbucker 2 in the neck position and Burstbucker 3 in the bridge, there is no better way to nail this famous Grohl tone. Save £300 at Sweetwater.
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With everybody raving about the new Oasis guitars, this Epiphone Les Paul Custom P-90 caught my eye over at Guitar Center. It's got a hefty $150 discount, and the black and gold aesthetic with dual P-90 pickups gives it a look not too dissimilar to Noel's new guitar, for much less money.
PRS & PRS SE
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Looking for a stunning single cut to add to your collection? Well, with $180 off this SE Zach Myers 594 at Guitar Center, you may have just found your next guitar. With a chambered mahogany body and a single F-Hole, this guitar is a lightweight powerhouse that utilizes two PRS-designed 245 "S" pickups for added punch.
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You can save $160 off the PRS SE NF3 list price at Guitar Center right now. The model brought something genuinely new to the S-style table, with its unique Narrowfield hum-canceling pickups and 25” scale-length – and was described as coming “dangerously close” to the firm’s hallowed US builds. Use the saving to make some minor mods and you’ll have a serious player on your hands...
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If there is one thing working in a guitar store has taught me, it’s that metal heads love to save money. With $216 off this SE Custom 24 Floyd guitar at Sweetwater, you can dive bomb between chugging riffs to your heart's content, made even sweeter thanks to a generous discount. Stand out from the crowd with the stunning Charcoal Cherry Burst finish.
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With $220 off at Guitar Center, there’s really no excuse not to grab this incredibly versatile guitar. Its gorgeous figured maple veneer and shallow violin carve give it serious appeal, while the HSS Narrowfield configuration makes it a must-have for players who want studio flexibility and killer tones at a fantastic price this Black Friday.
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There are loads of PRS guitars on sale at the moment, but one of my top picks is this PRS SE Special Semi-Hollow. It's got a huge $230 reduction at Sweetwater, taking it well below a grand, and it's one of the most versatile guitars I've played this year. This comes courtesy of the lineup of three pickups, with dual humbuckers and a Narrowfield DD “S” pickup in between the two. Add in the ability to coil tap the pickups and you've a ridiculous array of tones to choose from, alongside PRS' trademark build quality.
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The SE Custom 24 happens to be our pick for the best electric guitar for intermediate players. Its build quality is terrific, its tonal versatility is staggering, and its playability makes it addictive. At $170 off this Black Friday, it's incredible bang-for-your-buck.
Gretsch
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Double-cut guitars more your speed? Well, the Gretsch G5422TG Electromatic is a great option. Boasting a set of vintage-voiced Gretsch FT-5E Filter'Tron humbucking pickups and Bigsby B60, this guitar nails that classic Gretsch twang and then some.
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Not all Gretsch guitars are massive hollow-bodies, designed for country. Take the Gretsch Electromatic Jet, an underappreciated single cut that is more than capable of rocking. Featuring a chambered mahogany body, laurel-capped mahogany neck, and a set of Blacktop Filter’Tron pickups, this guitar is simple but a lot of fun to play.
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Man, this guitar is a serious looker, right? Thankfully, it sounds just as good as it looks. The Gretsch Streamliner Cat-Eye more than delivers the Gretsch sound thanks to a trio Broad'Tron BT-3S humbucking pickups. The guitar also features a 16" arched maple body with a chambered center block and cat-eye f-holes.
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This stunning Gretsch has got a massive $270 reduction, and that midnight blue finish with gold hardware makes it a real head turner. Dual Filter’Tron pickups are perfect for rock and roll guitar playing, while the treble bleed circuit ensures you can roll off the volume and still retain the clarity. Add in a Bigsby tremolo, and you’ve got yourself one amazing guitar for a lot less.
Acoustic guitar deals
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The 110ce is a dreadnought acoustic-electric with a solid Sitka spruce top and layered sapele back and sides. Our review praised its excellent fit and finish and its naturally balanced tonality throughout, delivering serious performance well below $1K. It also packs Taylor’s Expression System 2 pickup. For our money, this is the best pound-for-pound acoustic in the price bracket. Read our full 4.5 star review.
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If you want an acoustic guitar that's going to stand out from the crowd, the good looks of the Epiphone Dove Studio are sure to turn some heads at your next show. Similar to the Hummingbird in its visual flair, it's got a solid spruce top which means it sounds the part too.
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We love this limited edition white-out take on the iconic acoustic brand’s Little Martin build. You get that Martin build quality, but it's still cheap enough that you probably won’t regret taking a Sharpie to it...
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Still the king after almost a century, the Martin D-28 has been used by a who's-who of legendary guitarists and singer-songwriters, and blends impeccable build quality with stunning tone. With $200 off at Guitar Center this Black Friday, there's never been a better time to treat yourself to this one-of-a-kind model.
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This Grand Auditorium is built with a solid Sitka spruce top and layered copafera back and sides, offering a comfortable, versatile body shape that suits both strummers and fingerstyle players. Life is better when there’s a good Taylor guitar in your life, and for this guitar, at this price, you won’t go wrong. The ES-2 electronics give you full control on stage. This is a well-rounded, gig-worthy Taylor at a solid discount.
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A Grand Auditorium with a mahogany top and sapele back and sides, the 324ce offers a warm, rich voice that stands out among its peers. We highlighted in our review its “electric-like feel” neck and fast, accurate setup right out of the case. With the Expression System onboard, this is a serious workhorse for stage and studio, only now a little lighter on the wallet. Read our full 4.5 star review.
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Part of Taylor’s 300 series V-Class range, the 314ce is a Grand Auditorium with a solid Sitka spruce top and sapele back and sides. In our review, it’s described as “clean-cut” and built for players who value tone over flashy appointments. It delivers articulate, balanced sound even under demanding playing. Overall, the 314ce is great for experienced players who want a high-quality, solid-wood Taylor without going into the very top tier. Read our full 4.5 star review.
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This full-solid Grand Auditorium combines a Sitka spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides, giving you a lush, resonant tone with sustainable sustain. Guitar World calls it a “high-end workhorse” with “incredibly resonant” voice and versatile Expression System 2 electronics. Treat yourself; this is a full-fat Taylor built to perform now and appreciate with time. Read our full 4.5 star review.
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If you’re seeking big, powerful tones for every shade of quiet and loud strumming, then the J-200 is one of the greatest acoustic guitars there is. It’s super dynamic, so you can play with loads of expression, and it responds really nicely to your picking attack. Save $300 at Sweetwater.
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The Yamaha F335 is an ultra-dependable acoustic guitar for beginners. Whether it's you or someone you love getting started on six strings – or even looking for something simple to strum during a free moment at the desk, say – this acoustic's easy playability and dependable build quality make it a steal at this price.
Amp deals
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The Twin Reverb is amongst the most desirable guitar amps in the world, providing an incredible base tone that’s great as a pedal platform. It’s big, heavy, and unashamedly loud, the perfect antidote to those who don’t fancy a modeler. With dual Celestion speakers, the ‘silverface’ look of the 60s, and a huge $270 reduction, this is the amp for players who want iconic tone with serious volume.
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Packing a built-in looper, more amps and effects than you can shake a stick at, as well AI tone generation and powerful practice tools, it's a cutting-edge guitar amp that will suit a huge variety of players. Save $50 at Positive Grid.
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A superb mini amp that streaks ahead of the competition. Both the black and pearl editions have a $30 discount on the official PG site at the moment – that's the original pre-order price and a bit of a bargain if you ask us. If you’re short on space and need something compact that still gets loud when you need it to, then we don’t think it comes any better than this incredible mini practice amp.
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The Positive Grid Spark Mini has been my favorite practice amp for a long time now, thanks to its blend of fantastic tones, excellent volume, yet surprisingly small form factor. With a $50 reduction at Sweetwater, taking it just south of $200, it's awesome value for money, and in my opinion, the perfect practice amp.
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Boss’ Katana 50 is the new benchmark for modern practice amplifiers. It’s got more juice than a Sicilian lemon, more tone than 80s Schwarzenegger, and more versatility than Matthew McConaughey – thanks to its unbelievably-good digital modeling technology, including a Tube Logic modeling system that adds realistic valve-y feel to your chosen tone. Throw in some serious connectivity and you’ve got a beginner-friendly workhorse that’ll see you right through to thousand-cap venues. Read our 4.5-star review.
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The Boss Katana is arguably one of the most revered practice amps of the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. Loaded with top-notch effects and amp models as well as three power settings, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better practice solution on the market.
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Friedman's BE-Mini Head makes the coveted, roaring tones of an amp-magician-to-the-stars available to all. Weighing in at a mere 4 pounds and roaring with 30 watts of power, the BE-Mini Head is pure, back-to-the-basics rock tone, personified. At $99 this Black Friday, you can get boutique, hot-rodded Marshall tones at a belt-tightening-friendly price.
Pedal deals
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Remember when the internet went bananas for the DigiTech Bad Monkey? Wampler did, and then made the Triumph – a drive pedal that JHS head honcho Josh Scott called “better than the Bad Monkey”. If all of that means absolutely nothing to you, let me just say that the Triumph is a superb Tube Screamer-derived drive with extra flexibility, via a three-band EQ and a Smooth/Punch switch for classic and modern tones. For Cyber Monday, it’s under $85. Now that’s bananas.
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As far as simple loopers go, it's hard to look past the RC-1. In our review, we said, "The Boss RC-1 Loop Station is a really easy-to-use looper pedal with great functionality, 12 minutes record time, stereo ins and outs, and superb build quality. This pedal is perfect for simple looping in a live performance setting or for writing."
Read more: Boss RC-1 review.
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Looking for Klon-esque midrange drive from a standard-sized pedal? MXR has got you. The Fat Sugar is more faithful than many other Klones: it blends your clean signal at the start of your sweep, and offers increased headroom via an onboard voltage doubler. There’s also a choice of buffered and true bypass. But, let’s face it, most importantly, it’s pink and sparkly. And $40 off.
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The MXR Joshua is quite simply the legendary company’s one-way ticket to U2 town, because once you’ve gone to the Edge, you can never come back. If you still haven't found what you're looking for, tonally, this pedal might be the ticket, and with its price cut down to $169 at Sweetwater for a limited time, there's never been a better time to take your tone to where the streets have no name (ok, we're done).
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Fun fact: Boss literally invented the pedal tuner in 1998. Before that, nobody had a tuner on their pedalboard. Isn’t that nuts? All of which is to say that you can trust the TU-3 Chromatic Tuner to keep you in tune. Glare-free display, multiple tuning modes and rock-solid Boss build quality for $79. Let’s go.
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This pedal combines the classic aesthetics of the famed Klon Centaur with an impressive sound that makes it a top contender among Klon clones - and a firm favorite among us at Guitar World. Save $90 at Guitar Center.
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Full-sized wah pedals are SO last century. Mini wahs are where it’s at right now – maximizing pedalboard real estate while still getting the same tone. And they don’t come much better than Dunlop’s venerable Cry Baby Mini. Boasting the Fasel inductor you’ll find in the full-fat version, plus three adjustable voicings – Low, Vintage and GCB95 – this is all the wah most players will need. And it’s now under $100!
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A volume pedal AND a touchscreen-equipped tuner, this pedal has a display that's super-bright and looks far too good to be stepped on. But stepped on it must be in order to activate Ernie Ball’s trademark super-smooth volume pedal action. Then you can tap the screen and dial in exactly the right tuning setting for your rig, including always-on settings. This Black Friday, it's had $70 lopped off its price tag at Musician’s Friend: a damn fine offer that'll save you money and space on your pedalboard.
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The Boss DS-1 Distortion is an absolute classic of the genre. Stomped by everyone from Kurt Cobain to Joe Satriani, its affordability and rampant gain have made it one of the most popular guitar pedals of all time. Perhaps that’s why I’ve owned two in my lifetime, after regretting selling the first – but, incredibly, I’m now considering buying another.
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One of our favorite cheap looper pedals has had $50 slashed off the price. One footswitch covers your record, overdub, undo-redo and loop erase functionality, and you can store up to 11 loops on the pedal itself. With its easy-to-follow LEDs, it’s a great entry point into looping, especially at this price tag. Sweetwater has already sold out, but we’ve found a few more units lurking at Walmart – just be quick!
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The BD-2 is one of the most ubiquitous overdrive pedals on the planet, and with good reason: its rich tones warm up any amp, and it makes a great booster, too. Boss pedals hold their value like no others, so this 21% drop is awful tempting.
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The cheapest entry point into the Line 6 HX ecosystem is this no-nonsense, easy-to-use offering that spans amp modeling, distortion, modulation, delay and reverb. All with tap tempo, presets and a dedicated headphone output. It uses the same tones as the full-fat Helix, and even has its own dedicated editing software. $129 is a ridiculously low price for this kind of functionality.
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I've had a HX Stomp on my pedalboard for the past couple of years now, and it's become the hub for all my delay, reverb, and modulation sounds. Instead of having three separate pedals it handles a multitude of duties sitting in the FX loop of my amp. I also use it for amp modeling in conjunction with third-party IRs, where it's perfect for recording guitar demos. This limited mint green edition has eye-catching looks to add to the equation, and with $100 off at Guitar Center I can highly recommend picking one up.
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In our glowing review, we said, "There is no shortage of applications for the TONEX. It's a no-brainer for any player who wants to take a digital version of their rig to their gig in a compact, portable, and affordable format. But it's a similarly practical tool for the home or studio."
Read more: IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal review
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The Quad Cortex has become an essential unit for us at Guitar World, serving as our go-to for recording audio for our gear demo videos.
In our review, we said, "The Nano Cortex might not be perfect, but with the help of a breezy app, an expansive new update, and some world-class features, it very nearly is. As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen."
Bundled with an expression pedal, you can save $40 at Sweetwater.
Read more: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
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HX Effects is ideal for guitarists who love Line 6’s stellar Helix effects but want something with a smaller footprint that can operate with the ease of a traditional stomp box pedalboard.
Read more: Line 6 HX Effects review
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Whether you need a great variety of expressive tones for performing on stage or want to create entirely new signature sounds, the Boss GT-1000 delivers extremely powerful guitar tone and effects capabilities in a stage-worthy, portable, all-in-one rig package.
Read more: Boss GT-1000 review
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If you want to join the tone revolution but don’t quite fancy paying over the odds for vintage gear, the JHS 424 Gain Stage is the pedal for you. With $63 off at Sweetwater, this is the first big-brand take on the famous 424 MK1 recording multitrack recorder, made relevant again by guitarist Mk.gee. Expect whacky versatility, as this pedal will deliver drive, clean boost, fuzz, and can even be used as a direct-in. Perfect for the modern tone chaser. Read our full 4.5-star review.
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The JHS Hard Drive has been reduced by $50 during this Sweetwater sale and is perfect for children of the ’90s. From Dimebag Darrell scooped-mids tight riffs to classic Green Day and early Foo Fighters Marshall tones, the Hard Drive (available in either black or tan) is an in-your-face, punchy distortion pedal. This is one of JHS’s first completely unique circuits, and picking it up for $50 less than usual is incredibly tempting. Read our full 4.5-star review.
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Sometimes all I want is a pedal that does its job in the simplest way possible, and the Tidewater Mini does just that. With $34 off at Sweetwater, this mini pedal nails the tremolo tone of classic vintage Fender amplifiers. You know the one – that sweet, musical tremolo that makes everything sound just a little better without taking up much space in the mix. If you don’t know it yet, be warned: play it once and you’ll be hooked for life (take my word for it). There’s a reason why this one features in our guide to the best tremolo pedals.
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If you’re looking for the biggest discount, you’ve found it. With $113 off the ticket price, the Color Box V2 offers you the best savings at Sweetwater. Luckily for us, it’s a superb pedal too. It is a multifaceted pedal, but its prime use is as a fully analog vintage preamp with oozing overdrive. It’s not hyperbole when I say the Color Box has been used every time my band and I visited our studio to record. This current offer is on the 10th anniversary model, a great chance to pick up something more limited.
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The Flight Delay is a fully comprehensive delay pedal, stacked with features you typically want from a modern delay pedal. With a current saving of $63, you’re getting a tasty chunk off, which opens the door to delay, reverse, and analog delays with modulated tapers, tap tempo features, and EQ controls, all in a simple layout. If you’re looking for a delay pedal for life, the Flight Delay should be at the top of your list, as you’re not going to need much more from a delay pedal than this.
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The Line 6 DL4 MkII is the second iteration of a hugely popular digital modelling delay and looper workstation, and better than the first in practically every way. There’s an XLR-in for vocals, MIDI in, out and thru for digital control, a micro-SD slot for extended memory, USB-C connectivity, new delay models and even a secret reverb mode. This is the 25th Anniversary edition, which trades mint green for a sterling silver colorway (and comes with some limited-edition merch to boot). It’s usually $300, but Reverb’s Black Friday deals continue to confound; you can get it with a huge $120 off. Read our 5-star review.
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The Digitech Drop is a really popular pedal for quick drop-tuning, allowing gigging guitar players to change their tuning without having to bring a second guitar on the road. This open-box deal is available at the Crazy Dave's Music store on Reverb, and with a massive $50 reduction it's as cheap as you'll find it at any major retailer.
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At just $99, the Pigtronix Constellator is a brilliant deal at Sweetwater thanks to a huge $80 reduction. It's an analog delay pedal that delivers a luscious warm wash that belies its budget price point. It's a seriously underrated bit of gear, and we love the modulated tones it can deliver, as well as the mini size that means it's easily able to fit onto any 'board.
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Walrus Audio may have recently updated its Mako Series, but make no mistake: the original pedals are still serious bits of kit. For Black Friday Sweetwater has slashed $200 off the MKI R1 Reverb, M1 Modulation and D1 Delay pedals, all of which received glowing reviews from Guitar World. Each pedal offers a host of effects types and loads of tone-tweaking tools. Some of the newer MKII pedals have also been discounted, with price reductions of up to $90.
Accessory deals
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Guitar wireless systems used to be crazy expensive, so this deal on the Xvive U2 Wireless System is a great reminder of just how far we've come in terms of the technology. With a $45 reduction at Musican's Friend, this wireless kit is superb value for money, and the freeing feeling of doing away with cables is a convenience that all guitarists really need to experience.
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At half price over at the official UA website, the UAD Guitar Amp Bundle is a stunning deal for players who use an audio interface or like to record their playing. It includes four iconic guitar amps, including a trio of the most recorded amps ever with models on the Fender Deluxe Reverb, Marshall Plexi, and the Vox AC30 included. You also get the Woodrow 55 which is based on a Fender Tweed amp.
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I use this amp plugin when I want a clean tube combo vibe that can break into sweet overdrive and lush spring reverb plus vibrato. The realism of having the ‘65 Reverb sound in-box means I can skip the real hardware but still get that silverface feel.
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If you need Plexi-style aggression, rock-era bark or full-on hot-rodded roar, then this is your guy. Three distinct 100-watt plexi circuits, plus boost options and mic’d cabinet emulation, give you the perfect classic sound you need right in your DAW.
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If you want vintage tweed cleans, warm saturation or grungy drive that stays elongated, this amp covers it. Ideal for tracking bluesy leads and ambient guitar textures without the fuss of cab-IR swapping. A very useful part of the toolkit at this price.
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Tthe Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen delivers a great balance of features, performance, and software offering. Its low-latency performance is simply phenomenal, and you can get it to go below 5ms on Mac, which is incredibly low considering the price. It’s great on Windows too, with one of the most robust drivers I’ve ever encountered. Add in some cool features like clip safe and auto gain modes alongside significant improvements in AD/DA conversion, and there’s a good reason it sits in the top picks of my guide. With a nice $30 off over at Sweetwater, it’s the ultimate interface for the vast majority of music makers out there.
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The Audient iD4 MkII is a fantastic bit of kit, and I actually still use it as my travel interface when I need to mix on the go. It’s compact, easy to use, and delivers top-quality sound as you’d expect from a company that makes consoles for professional studios. I love the dual headphone outputs which allows for quick and easy collaboration, and I picked it out as a great option for beginner mixers who want something easy to use, but with enough room to grow into as they develop their craft. It’s currently got a cool $30 reduction in the Guitar Center sale, so if you’re looking for a great all-rounder they don’t come much better than this.
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If you want something a little more ‘pro’, the Universal Audio Apollo Twin X is the step up you’ve been looking for. I use its bigger brother, the X4, as my daily in my home studio, and when I was reviewing the Twin X I really loved the analogue style workflow it encourages you to take on. By harnessing the DSP power within the interface itself, you can offload processing from your computer to the interface itself, allowing you to place plugins on the input path like you would in a proper studio. It’s got a huge $200 discount at Sweetwater right now, so if you’re ready to step up to the big leagues, then this is the interface for you.
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For those who primarily record guitars, the IK Multimedia Axe I/O is the ultimate guitar audio interface. It’s got some properly cool guitarist-friendly features, like the ability to switch the input for active or passive pickups, an impedance control for changing the high-end content, a dedicated reamp out for changing those DI tones, and it even has a built-in guitar tuner. It’s got a ginormous $100 off at Sweetwater in the Black Friday sale, so if you want to upgrade the way you record your guitars, this is my favorite interface for guitarists.
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I picked out the SSL2+ MKII as a great interface for recording vocals, because SSL preamps are known for being ultra-clean. This is certainly the case with what’s an offer here, but there’s also some additional functionality that I think makes it particularly well-suited for singer-songwriters. The dual headphone outs are great for collaborating with others on tracks, and with dedicated volumes for each, you can set a perfect balance for you and the vocalist you’re working with. The built-in low cut for each track is also super handy, allowing you to get rid of any low-end rumble you might get from your singer moving around whilst they deliver their take. With a nice $50 reduction in the Guitar Center sale, it’s a great time to pick up this interface and upgrade the sound of your recordings for Black Friday.
🔴 Live updates
Hello, hello. *testing, testing* Is this thing on? Yes? *deep breath* Welcome to Guitar World’s Black Friday guitar deals live hub!
I’m Mike, and this weekend, I live for two things, and two things only: gear and deals. So let me be your guide throughout this Black Friday bonanza as the unrelenting blizzard of guitar gear offers closes in.
I’m here to help you cut through the noise and separate the good from the bad – I'll be bringing you only the best offers on guitars, amps, pedals, accessories and maybe even a little bit of Lego (if my beloved Lego Strat goes on sale), that I think are genuinely worth your time.
This isn’t myself or the Guitar World team’s first Black Friday rodeo, so you can trust us to bring you only the best. No fake bargains here.
We’ve reviewed loads of top-drawer gear this year, and I'm particularly looking forward to hunting down deals on everything from the Fender Ultra IIs to the Positive Grid Spark Neo, both of which scored highly in our tests.
In the meantime, there are three deals I want to point you towards right now:
- Up to 30% off Positive Grid gear, including the Spark amp lineup
- $200 off Walrus Audio Mako pedals at Sweetwater
- 12 packs of D’Addario strings: $3.33 per pack at Guitar Center
But don’t go! I’ll be right back with more...
However much of a gear purist you might be, you need an amp modeler in your life. Hot take, I know. Gigging. Recording. Backup. Travel rig. And there are deals to be had right now. My pick of the bunch is the POD Express, which could replace an entire guitar rig in a pinch, and makes for the ultimate gigbag lifesaver.
I also swear by the HX Stomp and HX Stomp XL, both of which have received hearty discounts. And while you’ll never see much of a discount on Neural’s modelers, there is a sweet Nano Cortex/expression pedal bundle going around right now. And that’s better than nothing, right?
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The cheapest entry point into the Line 6 HX ecosystem is this no-nonsense, easy-to-use offering that spans amp modeling, distortion, modulation, delay and reverb. All with tap tempo, presets and a dedicated headphone output. It uses the same tones as the full-fat Helix, and even has its own dedicated editing software. $129 is a ridiculously low price for this kind of functionality.
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I've had a HX Stomp on my pedalboard for the past couple of years now, and it's become the hub for all my delay, reverb, and modulation sounds. Instead of having three separate pedals it handles a multitude of duties sitting in the FX loop of my amp. I also use it for amp modeling in conjunction with third-party IRs, where it's perfect for recording guitar demos. This limited mint green edition has eye-catching looks to add to the equation, and with $100 off at Guitar Center I can highly recommend picking one up.
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In our glowing review, we said, "There is no shortage of applications for the TONEX. It's a no-brainer for any player who wants to take a digital version of their rig to their gig in a compact, portable, and affordable format. But it's a similarly practical tool for the home or studio."
Read more: IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal review
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The Quad Cortex has become an essential unit for us at Guitar World, serving as our go-to for recording audio for our gear demo videos.
In our review, we said, "The Nano Cortex might not be perfect, but with the help of a breezy app, an expansive new update, and some world-class features, it very nearly is. As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen."
Bundled with an expression pedal, you can save $40 at Sweetwater.
Read more: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
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Whether you need a great variety of expressive tones for performing on stage or want to create entirely new signature sounds, the Boss GT-1000 delivers extremely powerful guitar tone and effects capabilities in a stage-worthy, portable, all-in-one rig package.
Read more: Boss GT-1000 review
OK, let’s talk big-money items: the electric guitar deals. It’s a spennier purchase, to be sure – but if you’ve been saving your dollah for just the right offer, now’s the time to strike.
Especially if you’re in the market for a PRS, because nearly every single guitar the company makes has been reduced by 20%. That’s over 200 guitars. Yep, even the SEs. And yes, even the Silver Sky. The only guitars that haven’t had their prices slashed are the Private Stocks and, to be honest, if you can afford a $13,000 Private Stock PRS, you might not be the target demographic for this here live blog.
Were I in the market for a new guitar (and I usually am), the SE NF3 would be the one going straight in my basket at $639. It’s a distinctly PRS take on the traditional Strat format, and one of the greatest gear bargains of the year, especially with a discount. The NF53 is a close runner-up, with a modernized version of the Telecaster that can handle just about anything you throw at it. Hold me back, fellow GW staff members, hold me back!
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Over 200 PRS guitars and amps have been reduced for Black Friday. Yep, you read that right: over 200 guitars and amps, from the cheapest SE to the priciest Core model, including Mark Tremonti’s fire-breathing MT 100 head and John Mayer’s Silver Sky. Mark my words, this is one of Black Friday 2025’s best guitar offers.
Still with me so far? Good. Let’s dig into some more major brands. Fender – known around these parts as The Big F when we desperately don’t want to type Fender again – has one NOICE sale going on at its online store right now. We’re talking up to 30% off big-ticket guitars. Up to $200 off the top-spec American Professional II range (awarded 4.5/5 in our review).
The Big F (see?) is also blowing out the last of the American Performer series – recently replaced by the American Professional Classic. A bunch of these have sold out already, but at the time of writing, you can still nab the Strat and Mustang with chunky $240 discounts.
But, as ever, mine eye is drawn to the “ooh, go on then” bracket of Squier oddities. The Custom Nashville Telecaster with its mashup of Strat and Tele specs. That Paranormal Troublemaker Tele in Ice Blue Metallic is gorgeous. And when, exactly, was Fender going to tell me it had released the Offset Telecaster in Charcoal Frost Metallic? Be still, my twitching credit card.
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Fender.com is serving up big discounts on a dizzying array of gear – everything from $240 off top-drawer American Professional II and American Performer guitars down to budget Squiers, now starting at $161. There are some great affordable gifts for the guitarist in your life, too, from stylish straps to the Strat bookends you always wanted.
Looking for something different? Tired of not being able to fit your guitar in overhead lockers on airplanes? Hate headstocks? We rated the Strandberg Boden Essential 5 out of 5 in our review, and mark my words, it will change the way you play. Even the most die-hard vintage Fender enthusiasts in the office have been wooed by Strandberg’s ergonomic charms the second they play one.
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With a cool $300 off the regular price, this 5-star rated Strandberg Boden Essential is well below a grand in the Black Friday sale at Sweetwater. With a level of comfort you’ll have to play yourself to believe, the EndurNeck profile is optimized to reduce strain on your wrist and fingers, while the ergonomic body is lightweight and can be played in a variety of positions.
And right now, Strandberg’s cheapest model, the Boden Essential, is even cheaper, with $300 guillotined off the price. $799 is crazy money to access the company’s uber-comfortable EndurNeck, which frees up those fingers to fly even faster.
My ecomm buddy Matt McCracken is so excited, he has already dubbed it the “guitar deal of the year”. In fact, it’s such a good discount, we worry Strandberg might have lost their heads!!! You know, like their guitars. *tumbleweed GIF*
…that seems like a good point to wipe the sweat from my Deal-Hunting Goggles (pat pending), and hand them to my long-suffering colleague Matt Parker, who will be manning the live blog for the next shift. It’s been real. Laterz!
Hello, hello! Matt here. Happy turkey-day-recovery-period and many thanks to Mike for his work launching the live blog, which – given he’s my manager – I’d just like to say I found both thought-provoking and inspirational.
So what am I going to shout about first? Well, we all know Black Friday can be vulnerable to retailers’ dark arts, but Boss’ Katana: Go Mini headphone amp (now $99 at Sweetwater) is a genuine bargain – and it’s a bit of kit I know and trust.
Yeah, if you’d told 16-year-old Matt that one day his most useful bit of gear would be a headphone amp, the response would have been… judgy. AND YET, like that incredibly overused Bernie Sanders meme: I’m once again asking for you to listen to me rant enthusiastically about my Boss Katana: Go.
It’s down to $99, meaning it’s had a sizeable $40 price cut (that’s a 29% discount) and takes it nicely below that $100 mental barrier – not to mention, well under the price of its usual rivals, like Fender’s Mustang Micro Plus.
It’s tiny, packed with decent tones and its Stage Feel function means I will legitimately play it for hours before my ears get worn – which I cannot say about the alternatives I’ve tried. So shut up, teen Matt, I need this…
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Boss' Katana:Go Mini is one of the best headphone amps available and at $99 across Cyber Weekend, it's temporarily the most affordable option in its class, too – significantly undercutting the likes of Fender's Mustang Micro Plus or Blackstar's BEAM.
I've got a quick question for you: what’s better than finding a Black Friday discount on something you like from Guitar Center? How about creating your own Black Friday discount?
Now, Guitar Center is offering a 15% off coupon code on a spend of $199+, redeemable on a product line of some 13,000 items, so if there’s something you’ve had your eye on, now could be the time to scoop it up.
I've taken a poke about, because “I need to... for work” and it looks like the $199 figure is a total, so you can potentially bundle cheaper purchases together, too.
I like the look of this ProCo RAT2, which is already marked down to $88.95, the eye-catching $599.99 Gretsch Electromatic Jet Two 90 Single-Cut With Bigsby (because blue guitars are the best guitars – and this one launched at $699.99, so is already discounted) and this Guild F2512E Deluxe Rosewood Westerly Collection ($699.99), which would solve my current 12-string problem. The problem being that I don't own a 12-string.
And those prices are all before you apply the 15% coupon code. I’ve been a fan of coupons ever since I watched Kevin McCallister use one over in the 1990 residential defence documentary, Home Alone, but this is ranking pretty highly on my coupon-o-meter...
Anyway, at this point, I’m going to tag out now and hand over to the other, probably more capable, Matt: Matt Owen.
Yes, we have two Matts on GuitarWorld.com. We keep one of us tuned a half-step down. OK, I'm going...
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Guitar Center: 15% off coupon
Design your own discount, with a 15% coupon redeemable on a huge range of guitars, amps, effects and other music-making gear.
Hello, 'tis I – the other Matt. Gather round, I have a story to tell you.
My first few flirtations with amp modelers certainly weren’t smooth. The first time I was forced to go amp-less for a gig, I had to blind-build a patch on my HX Stomp during soundcheck. It was fiiiiine, but it wasn’t great.
My bandmate, on the other hand, gave me serious tone envy when he rocked up, plugged into a Walrus Audio ACS1, and made my guitar sound… well, he sounded better. That’s why I’m eyeing up Sweetwater’s Mako Series sale. $90 off the ACS1 Mark II? I’ll be having the last laugh, thank you very much.
Also – $200 off Mark I Mako pedals? Is that a typo?! You can get an R1 High-Fidelity Reverb for $149.99. It’s usually $349.99. What are you still doing here?!
Oh, and one more thing...
I know what you’re going to say. “What do you mean you went seven years without trying a Silver Sky? Some John Mayer fan you must be, sucker.” Well, yes, I am a sucker. And I feel even more sucker-y because when I did get to play one for the first time last month, I was blown away. I dare say it's my favorite Strat-style guitar. And that’s saying something: I’ve been playing Strats my whole playing life.
Well, I’m currently hovering over the ‘Buy’ button, because Guitar Center currently has 20% off all of its Core and SE PRS models – and, yes, that includes the Silver Sky. I know I say it every year, but this time is different. How can I say no to a $649 Trad Blue SE Silver Sky? I can’t. I simply can’t.
What’s my favorite piece of gear I’ve reviewed this year, you ask? Well, thanks for asking. That would be the Strandberg Boden N2. My second favorite, though, was the JHS 424 Gain Stage. It physically pained me when I had to send it back. On the eve of a gig, as well.
Well, the convenient 424 Gain Stage-sized space on my pedalboard I may or may not have already chiseled out isn’t about to stay empty for much longer. No sir! The 424 Gain Stage – along with a bunch of other JHS Pedals – is currently 20% off at Sweetwater. I have four JHS stompboxes on my ‘board already. The 424 will be an easy fifth. I’m also eyeing up that brand new Kilt 10, also included in the discount. Someone hide my wallet from me plz.
Hello, and welcome to Janelle's corner *ahem* Guitar World's Black Friday guitar deals live hub... while I'm currently on the hunt for a good violin bow deal (and, before you ask, my thing's playing guitar with a violin bow à la Jimmy Page), I came across a deal on my favorite pair of earplugs ever.
They're Loop's Switch 2, and, as you can probably guess from the name, there's a switching element to them. Essentially, they're three earplugs in one, with three modes, Quiet, Engage, and Experience, offering 20-26 dB (SNR) of noise reduction. Great for gigs, having a deep conversation in a noisy restaurant, and well, sleeping. Honestly, they’ve been a lifesaver… and I’m grabbing an extra pair ’cause they’re currently on sale on Amazon.
Disclaimer: When my bandmate (hello Leanne) and our editor, Mike, went to Japan last year – just in time for Fender's Hello Kitty collab launch, I was slightly (okay, very) jealous. I mean, who doesn't like Hello Kitty? Well, everyone's in on the hype, and Sweetwater has just slashed the price of the Squier x Hello Kitty Stratocaster electric by $180... adding to cart, brb.
56% off? In this economy? Are you kidding me?!
Just spotted this massive deal on Musician's Friend for this beautifully crafted D'Angelico guitar – the Premier Brighton. It’s a sleek double-cutaway with a lightweight body, a satin-finished slim-C neck shape, and Seymour Duncan Designed pickups: an HB-102 in the neck and an HB-101 in the bridge, both equipped with coil-splitting technology – giving you a total of eight onboard tone options. And it’s now available for less than $400. You’re welcome.
Don't know about you guys, but I always keep a few picks in my purse, just in case I happen to wander into a guitar store (or forget my pick du jour on stage). Thankfully, Dunlop has me covered with a 36-pack of guitar picks for just $13.62 on Amazon (working out to $0.38 per pick!).
I’ve actually got a Blackstar FLY3 on my desk as I’m writing this. I’ve had this practice amp for a while now and can’t recommend it enough.
Weighing just 2.19 pounds, it’s the definition of compact and portable – and it can also be powered by batteries. It also has this super-cool built-in ‘tape’ delay with time and level controls, plus a gain button for added crunch.
But the best feature of them all? It has to be the fact that you can plug in your headphones and practice in peace. And it’s now available for less than $70 at Walmart. Christmas present, anyone?
Boss' TU-3 chromatic tuner is a classic and therefore needs no introduction. It's a no-fuss, pedalboard staple, which is why I, like hundreds of thousands of other guitarists (and bassists, of course), love it so much. And it's now 31% off on Amazon.
A touring-proof pedal that will last you a lifetime for $75.58... a total steal, if you ask me.
And speaking of Boss staples, well, another Boss favorite, the Boss RC-5 Loop Station, is also discounted on Amazon (down to $176.97 from its OG price of $219.99). Loopers have been all the rage for, well, years now (thank you Ed Sheeran and Tash Sultana), and they're still as cool as ever.
The RC-5 allows for 13 hours of stereo recording, plus advanced external support via footswitches, an expression pedal, or MIDI. Plus, it's loaded with 57 inspiring rhythms, each with A/B variations, ’cause who needs a drummer in a band, anyway?
It's a nifty tool for every guitarist and bassist who wants more autonomy and is on a quest to continue pushing the boundaries of their playing, one overdub at a time.
Hello! Jackson here. Before I begin, many thanks to my GW online compadres who steered the ship before me – you should check out their suggestions below as well!
So far today, I have a clear favorite, deal-wise – a jaw-loosening Sweetwater discount that's brought the price of Friedman’s killer BE-Mini Head down from $249 to an incredible $99.
The late, dearly, dearly missed bass legend Mani once proudly called his Mesa Boogie 400 Plus a “fucking trouser flapper” of an amp, and while I'm not in the market for that in particular, reading that quote did re-awaken my craving for an amp with more firepower.
I chose a career in journalism, so I personally don't have three grand to shell out for one of amp magician and company founder Dave Friedman's ‘Brown Eye Deluxe’ all-valve heads, but, as our four-and-a-half star review of it attests, the BE-Mini Head is a 30 watt gain volcano that gets shockingly close to that firebreather of an amp's snarling tones for its price, and has vivid dynamics and a ton of versatility. I keep bringing my wallet closer and closer to my computer...
I love my little Yamaha F335. It's been with me for more than half my life; from state to state, apartment to apartment, dorm to dorm (sorry to the people on my floor)... but I desperately need an acoustic upgrade.
Now, realistically, I need (read, can only afford) something mid-priced, under $1,000, perhaps. But a man can also dream. And in those dreams, I'm playing the king of the acoustics, a Martin D-28.
Even after almost a century, they don't come better than this – the booming, many-layered tone, impeccable build quality, and unrivaled history... It remains, in our view at least, the best acoustic guitar you can buy today, period.
This Black Friday, you can save big – $200, to be exact – on one at Guitar Center. Now, where was my coin jar again?...
I cracked a smile when my colleague, GW Reviews Editor Rob Laing, wrote that he picked up a Squier Debut Series Precision Bass on Amazon and was pleasantly surprised by what he found.
Before I began fumbling around six strings, I got my start on four. My first instrument? You guessed it! A Squier P-Bass.
I love that thing! The first time I ever played on a recording that got released (i.e. uploaded to the internet for an audience of four, maybe five people), I was playing that Squier. And, in his review, Rob says that the Squier Debut Series P-Bass can – after you fix some set-up issues, if present – serve as a go-to recording bass for any guitarist; not just a Ramones T-shirt-wearing 14-year-old who reveled in his lack of musical skill.
20 percent off this Black Friday at Amazon, the bass can now be had for a mere $131. All jokes aside, it's a great deal for those who want their first four-string, a bass to quickly pick up for recording, or even a modding project to have fun with.
Hello and good day to you! Matt Parker here – back in the live blog seat and ready to steer you to the best deals around this Cyber Weekend.
Black Friday has passed but there’s still a load of great options around for anyone looking for guitar, bass, amp or effects bargains (and other random stuff that we think is cool). Some things have sold-out, some are even dropping in price, but either way, it’s move it or lose it time.
We’ll be here again all day to help sort the wheat from the chaff and keep you as up-to-date as possible, all served with a smattering of seasonal cheer/sarcasm...
First up, we’ve just put together a handy round-up of 9 Black Friday bass deals, which are still active and worthy of your time, cash and low-end love.
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How often do you see a discount on Fender’s perennially popular Player II range? Hardly ever. But for Black Friday, Guitar Center is clearing out this limited-edition British Racing Green beauty with $140 off. Player Series Alnico 5 single coils deliver that cutting Jazz tone, while a satin-finished neck with rolled fingerboard edges makes for a comfortable, ahem, player. Did we mention that finish? This deal won’t hang around long.
Maybe it’s just a festive thing, but I particularly like this Fender Player II Jazz Bass in British Racing Green flagged by my colleague Matt McCracken, which has a chunky $140 discount over at Guitar Center (was $839.99, now $699.99). You can’t go too wrong with the Player II builds, or most of the firm’s Mexican output, and this is a great discount...
Guitar Center and Gibson’s collab on the original Bats In Flight builds back in 2019 sent collectors, er, flapping and they’ve since become pretty sought after. It’s a savvy move then to not just bring them back, but throw in the first attainable take in the form of the Epiphone Bats In Flight Les Paul Custom ($899.99).
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The sought-after Bats In Flight range was a Guitar Center exclusive that debuted in 2019 and quickly became a collector’s favorite. Now it’s back for a limited time, complete with the first affordable option: the $899.99 Epiphone Bats In Flight Les Paul Custom.
However, if you’re a bat-obsessed person of means (say, a Gotham-based socialite, who lives in a big house and spends his evenings wearing a mask and wailing on goons), then it’s hard to look beyond the absolute beauty that is the Gibson Custom Bats in Flight Les Paul ($9,999.99).
I know we’re talking about stained wood (I spend an inordinate amount of time talking about stained wood), but that Dark Orange Burst is ridiculously cool. It’s also available in Red, Purple and Blue Burst.
Fun fact: these were originally born after GC spotted a luthier’s doodles on a visit to the Gibson shop floor (sorry, “craftory”) and duly commissioned a special run of builds with bat inlays and headstock decals.
There’s a host of other Guitar Center exclusive finishes available right now, too.
What’s the world's best-selling amp modeler? The answer might surprise you, for according to Reverb’s data boffins, it’s the IK Multimedia TONEX ONE. So it was quite appropriately named, it turns out...
Anyway, my sources (OK, Mike) have just confirmed that you can currently scoop up the TONEX ONE for $149.99 at Guitar Center – scoring a neat $50 saving. That's a 25% discount on a pedal that is still very much in demand – and therefore getting my ‘bonafide bargain’ rubber stamp.
The little unit is essentially the noisy cricket [dated millennial reference klaxon] of amp modelers, packing an enormous amount of processing power into a tiny footprint and a price to match.
It scored 4.5 stars in our TONEX ONE review and I predict this deal will turn the heads of anyone looking for 'board mounted amp backup, a fly-rig option, or to dip their toe into amp modelling for the first time without going ‘full Fractal’...
That’s it from me (Matt P) today – I’m going to tag in Janelle, who will be steering the ship for the next hour or so...
Oh hi friends and fellow guitar geeks. Janelle here.
Yes, I'm back on this fine Saturday to bring you the sweetest Black Friday (inching closer to Cyber Monday) deals on the world wide web.
And, just in case you're wondering, we haven’t forgotten our UK- and Europe-based readers. Turns out Thomann has a massive sale of up to 70% off – and that’s music to my ears. There’s no better combination in the world than “guitars” and “sale,” after all…
If you’re a Beatles fan (side note: have you heard about the upcoming Beatles four-part biopic?), you’ll be pleased to know that the Höfner Ignition Bass HI-VB-SB is on sale, currently up for grabs for $440.95 (£333/€380.25).
It’s a limited-edition model with an era-specific tailpiece, control panel, and zero fret… perfect for a Hey Jude sing-along during the holiday period.
Add to cart here...
More from Thomann...
The Everlong wait was over when Epiphone announced its team-up with Dave Grohl on the Epiphone Signature Dave Grohl DG-335... in Pelham Blue, of course.
Gibson has just announced an elusive new finish for its wildly popular Trini Lopez/ES-335 hybrid; however, if you're looking for something a bit more affordable, the Epiphone version still packs a punch and is one seriously classy guitar.
For those hoping to take a page from Grohl's playbook, this guitar is currently on sale at Thomann's and retailing for just over $1K (£777/€887.24).
And, speaking of Epiphones, Guitar Center is offering one heck of an affordable bundle for all those just starting their guitar journey (welcome!).
The bundle's centerpiece is an Epiphone Les Paul Special-I, tailor-made for beginners – but still featuring some really solid specs. Its mahogany body and bolt-on neck provide a rich, resonant tone with balanced sustain, while the engineered hardwood fingerboard ensures that you can easily run up and down the neck. Further furnishings include dual open-coil Epiphone humbuckers which honor the Les Paul legacy with punchy and warm tones for days.
Also included in the starter pack is an Epiphone Electar 10W amp, a clip-on tuner, gig bag, guitar strap, and picks – all the gear you need to start playing right away!
And if you fancy yourself the next Dave Grohl, this guitar’s available in Pelham Blue – but if blue’s not your color, the Black Friday offer’s also valid for the Worn Cherry version (my personal favorite).
Check it out here.
You can never have enough patch cables – and that's coming from someone who's a bit of a scatterbrain.
(Confession time: I’ve lost count of the number of patch cables I’ve left behind in venues… never to be seen again.)
I've just nabbed a bunch of patch cables from Amazon after coming across this Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal on a pack of six. Six patch cables for less than $11? That's less than $2 a cable!
*Cue I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday but replace Christmas with Black Friday*
And, before I bid adieu...
Lest we forget the bassists – specifically, those with a penchant for the unconventional.
An ultra-exclusive production of 6-string John Taylor signature basses has emerged from Dingwall Guitars – and Sweetwater is the only retailer stocking them. Its high-end appointments include a sleekly contoured nyatoh body, a 5-piece maple neck, and a pau ferro fingerboard *chef's kiss*.
It's also equipped with a custom electronics package: a trio of FD3n neodymium pickups and a 2-band bass preamp from Rupert Neve Designs... all packaged in an attractive Gloss Seafoam Green finish.
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, this bass is on sale (while supplies last), and it’s down to $3,800 from its original price of $4,045, so you’ll be saving $245. You’re welcome.
Head to Sweetwater for more details...
What the heck is up, Black Friday partay people? I’ve downed a hot cup o’ Deal Juice (coffee), and I, Mike, am ready to take the mic. But I’ll tell you what’s not taking the Mike… these prices! *cough*
No, for serious. I’m currently cooking up a guide to sub-$100 pedal deals (WATCH THIS SPACE), but in my cyberspace travels, I came across a few that didn’t quite meet my strict price cap. So where better to share them than here? Nowhere, that’s where.
First up is the MXR Joshua, the company’s one-way ticket to U2 town – because once you’ve gone to the Edge, you can never come back – now $169 at Sweetwater for a limited time.
It’s a beautiful-sounding delay pedal with onboard modulation, a built-in tap tempo and onboard freeze. We hailed its ability to function as both a traditional delay or a soundscape generator in our 4.5/5 review. So an $86 saving sounds pretty nice, right?
It only lasts for two more days, so you’d better make like a (Joshua) Tree and leave for Sweetwater right now. But come back when you’re done, because I’ll have more sweet deals for you.
Sorry for the wait. This cheap pedal roundup may be the death of me. But in my final breaths, let me just… tell… you… about… one… last…………… deal………………
The Ernie Ball VPJR Tuner has $70 lopped off its price tag at Musician’s Friend. Which, given it’s a volume pedal AND a touchscreen-equipped tuner, is a damn fine offer: saving you money and space on your pedalboard.
The display is super-bright and looks, quite frankly, far too good to be stepped on. But stepped on it must be in order to activate Ernie Ball’s trademark super-smooth volume pedal action. Mmm. Then you can tap the screen and dial in exactly the right tuning setting for your rig, including always-on settings so you’re always in tune. We gave it 5 stars for a reason, folks.
You get a choice of finishes in the sale – black, red, white and silver – on this aluminum-chassied beauty and they’re all $149.99 for a limited time only. A deal! A deal, I say!
Guys, guys: I’ve finally done it. The cheap pedal guide LIVES. And it is absolutely loaded with deals. Money off entire JHS and Walrus Audio ranges. Boss classics going cheap. Loopers for peanuts. An overdrive better than the Bad Monkey. I’ve shared a few of my favorites below, but you might want to hit up my guide for the whole shebang (do people still say shebang?).
And with that, my watch is over. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Matt Owen, who is easily one of my three favorite Matts at Guitar World. Bubye!
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Walrus Audio Fundamental Series: $99 now from $79
Walrus Audio’s answer to the JHS 3 Series, the Fundamental Series pedals are almost just as affordable, equally easy to use, and also cover a vast tonal range. Here, there are three voices per pedal, and (get this) sliders to control the parameters. Nifty, eh? A selection of fuzz, overdrive, distortion, reverb and all sorts of other pedals are now available from $79 thanks to Guitar Center’s discount.
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JHS 3 Series pedals: Was $99 now $74.25 each
Even at $99, the JHS 3 Series pedals are a bargain. The comprehensive lineup covers quite literally all tonal bases – overdrive, distortion, chorus, fuzz, delay, screamer, reverb and tremolo included – and each unit is so easy to use it practically operates itself: just three control knobs and mode-switching toggles. Plus, they’re built by JHS, so you know you’re investing in a top quality pedal. They are now a generous 25% off at Guitar Center.
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One of our favorite cheap looper pedals has had $50 slashed off the price. One footswitch covers your record, overdub, undo-redo and loop erase functionality, and you can store up to 11 loops on the pedal itself. With its easy-to-follow LEDs, it’s a great entry point into looping, especially at this price tag. Sweetwater has already sold out, but we’ve found a few more units lurking at Walmart – just be quick!
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The Boss DS-1 Distortion is an absolute classic of the genre. Stomped by everyone from Kurt Cobain to Joe Satriani, its affordability and rampant gain have made it one of the most popular guitar pedals of all time. Perhaps that’s why I’ve owned two in my lifetime, after regretting selling the first – but, incredibly, I’m now considering buying another.
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Full-sized wah pedals are SO last century. Mini wahs are where it’s at right now – maximizing pedalboard real estate while still getting the same tone. And they don’t come much better than Dunlop’s venerable Cry Baby Mini. Boasting the Fasel inductor you’ll find in the full-fat version, plus three adjustable voicings – Low, Vintage and GCB95 – this is all the wah most players will need. And it’s now under $100!
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I’m gonna let you in on a secret: the FOD Drive is just a rebadged Dookie Drive – ya know, the pedal that captures Billie Joe Armstrong’s sought-after modded Marshall Plexi crunch from the Green Day album of the same name. Which makes this $99 deal an absolute bargain. A blend knob goes between two different amp characters, allowing you to fine-tune your gain, while a three-way scoop switch gets those mids dialed in juuuust right. Get it! Now!
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Remember when the internet went bananas for the DigiTech Bad Monkey? Wampler did, and then made the Triumph – a drive pedal that JHS head honcho Josh Scott called “better than the Bad Monkey”. If all of that means absolutely nothing to you, let me just say that the Triumph is a superb Tube Screamer-derived drive with extra flexibility, via a three-band EQ and a Smooth/Punch switch for classic and modern tones. For Cyber Monday, it’s under $85. Now that’s bananas.
Hi folks! Jackson here again. Clocking in on this, day numero dos of the biggest guitar gear sale of 2025, I noticed that a huge sale I meant to highlight yesterday had actually gotten bigger overnight!
Already discounted to begin with, the Yamaha F335 can now be had for $90 off at Guitar Center – that's a whopping 41% off its typical price tag.
The Yamaha F335 was my first ever six-string guitar, and it's followed me now for over half my life. As I mentioned in this blog yesterday, through moves from state to state, apartment to apartment – and most precariously, dorm to dorm – it's always been dependable, and held strong even during my lengthy Nick Drake phase, where I put it through every alternate tuning under the sun.
It was a perfect beginner acoustic for me, and would be for anyone in your life. Even more seasoned players looking for something simple to strum during a free moment at the desk, say, would do well to pick one up. You can to do just that right now for $129 – a hell of a lot of bang for your buck.
To be perfectly honest, I've never quite clicked with the look of PRS guitars, but the endless praise from guitar legends and my co-workers for the company's builds is admittedly beginning to chip away at my bias.
Doing bigger damage to it at the moment is a mega Musician's Friend Black Friday discount that takes a huge $170 off the price of the company's acclaimed SE Custom 24 model.
Now, I don't need a new guitar, obviously, but if I was going to get one, $500-$700 was about what I was looking to spend... And this Black Friday deal brings the price of this guitar – named by this very publication as the best for intermediate players – down from $849 to $679... And if I was going to get over my PRS skepticism this would probably be the model to change my views... (looks over to wallet, stage lights go dark).
“I carry one in my luggage at all times. I have one for my dressing room and one on the bus. Before every show, I use it to warm up, and I’ve even used it in the studio directly into my DAW.”
Not my (Mike’s) words, but the words of guest blog post editor (j/k) Steve Vai, who swears by his signature Positive Grid Spark Mini. Now, I actually own one of these amps – no, it did not make my fingers move like Mr Vai’s, but it did help me play more guitar by sneaking it into my lounge without my other half complaining. And the four onboard tones are tailored just to my taste.
Anyway, I’m a big fan. And with $50 off at Positive Grid, I’m convinced you will be too. However, unlike Steve, I do sometimes leave the house without it. When I’m getting groceries, for example. Or taking the cat to the vets. Your mileage may vary.
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Steve Vai is such a huge fan of Positive Grid’s mini practice amp that he designed his own version, complete with four presets that meet his exacting tonal standards. It also looks the part, boasting a unique burgundy tolex and mandala grille, and comes with a custom weave burgundy cable. And, of course, it packs all the other Spark Mini features, including Bluetooth audio streaming, AI tones, app tone tweaking and sound far bigger than its size. You can get the regular Spark Mini for $20 less, but the aesthetics and onboard tones make this our favorite edition of the award-winning mini amp so far.
One last post from me (Mike) before I leave for what’s left of my Sunday, but it’s a doozie: the year’s best looper pedal deals! I’ve written a semi-academic thesis on why every guitarist should own a looper pedal (spoiler alert: it will make you a better player), but if you don’t feel like skimming my ramblings, I’ve also shared some of the best deals below. Which is nice of me, I think. Anyway, I’m off. I’ll leave you to have fun with the rest of the team. Byeeeeee!
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As far as simple loopers go, it's hard to look past the RC-1. In our review, we said, "The Boss RC-1 Loop Station is a really easy-to-use looper pedal with great functionality, 12 minutes record time, stereo ins and outs, and superb build quality. This pedal is perfect for simple looping in a live performance setting or for writing."
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The RC-5 builds on the RC-1 in just about every way. You get 13 hours of recording, spread out over 99 memories, so you can store your loops and recall them whenever you like, along with tempo and reverb assignments. There are 114 drum grooves and seven drum kits to accompany your playing, too. It’s all easily navigated via the onboard screen, which helps keep you in time, as well. This isn’t just a looper; it’s a fully formed songwriting assistant. It’s discounted across the web, but B&H Photo has the best price, knocking $30 off.
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One of our favorite cheap looper pedals has had $50 slashed off the price. One footswitch covers your record, overdub, undo-redo and loop erase functionality, and you can store up to 11 loops on the pedal itself. With its easy-to-follow LEDs, it’s a great entry point into looping, especially at this price tag. Sweetwater has already sold out, but we’ve found a few more units lurking at Walmart – just be quick!
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Its form factor may be diminutive, but this Donner mini pedal is deceptively well-featured. For starters, it features three loops, with up to 30 minutes of looping time, plus unlimited overdubs and undo/redo functionality. It will save your loops when the pedal powers off, and its built-in display shows where you are in the duration of your loop. It’s a steal at $59.
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