Jordan Mitchell

Picking the best saxophones for beginners in felt overwhelming until I spent three months testing ten student alto saxophones side-by-side in our practice rooms. I played each one for at least eight hours, ran them through beginner band method books, and watched three real students (ages 10, 14, and 42) try them out. The Yamaha … Read more

Picking the right first trumpet can make or break a beginner’s learning curve. After spending 60+ hours testing student horns side-by-side, comparing valve action, blowing into every bell, and reading feedback from band directors on r/trumpet, our team put together this guide to the best trumpets for beginners you can actually trust. A beginner trumpet … Read more

If you have ever walked into a guitar shop and felt overwhelmed by the wall of nylon string guitars, you are not alone. A classical guitar looks simple on the surface, but underneath the spruce top, the slotted headstock, and the wide flat fingerboard sits a surprisingly deep world of tonewoods, bracing patterns, scale lengths, … Read more

When I played my first bar gig without a proper wedge, I spent the entire set straining to hear my own vocal. The result was pitchy singing, missed cues, and a drummer who looked ready to throw his sticks at me. That night taught me what every working musician eventually learns: the best stage monitors … Read more

I have spent the last three months testing 10 workstation keyboards in my home studio and at small live shows, switching between weighted hammer-action keybeds and lightweight synth-action boards, sampling arpeggiators in Ableton, and pushing each sound engine through its limits. What I found surprised me: the right workstation keyboard for your workflow depends far … Read more

The PRS SE Custom 24 is the best electric guitar under $1000 for most players – it pairs dual 85/15 S humbuckers with a coil-split, a Wide Thin maple neck, and a figured maple top that rivals $1,500+ guitars. After comparing 10 models across PRS, Fender, Squier, Epiphone, ESP, Ibanez, and Yamaha, our team landed … Read more

Buying the best electric guitars under $500 used to mean a beginner-only decision. In , that price tier is the sweet spot where you get around 80% of the tone and playability of a $1,000+ guitar without the boutique markup. After spending more than 60 hours testing 12 of the most popular models side by … Read more

Picking the right electric guitar is the single most fun – and most confusing – decision a new or upgrading player makes. The wrong size, the wrong pickups, or a poorly set-up instrument can quietly kill motivation long before your fingers ever learn a barre chord. After spending weeks with more than a dozen solid-body, … Read more

Choosing the best keyboard synthesizers for your setup can feel overwhelming. I spent three months comparing analog, digital and hybrid synths across every price range, and the short answer is this: the Korg Minilogue XD is the best keyboard synthesizer for most people in because it delivers true 4-voice polyphonic analog sound, a generous preset … Read more

Beginner producers often ask the same question first: what is a groovebox, and why should I care? A groovebox is a standalone electronic music production device that combines a drum machine, synthesizer or sampler, and step sequencer into one unit. It lets you make beats, basslines, and melodies without a computer, so you can sketch … Read more