Look, we get it—holiday shopping can be draining on both your wallet and your brain. Coming up with gift ideas, sifting through sales, and praying to find affordable and quality gear can be a headache. We compiled a list of some of our favorite gear on a budget!

Guitars

Yamaha Electric Guitars

Did you know that Yamaha makes tons of affordable and quality gear besides keyboards? Well, they do! Check out their lines of electric guitars—especially the REVSTAR and Pacific Series—which offer awesome sounding guitars for super reasonable prices.

REVSTAR Series MSRP: $629.00 – 1,549.00

Pacific Series MSRP: $469.00 – 1,050.00

Epiphone EB-0 Bass

Epiphone EB-O is a recreation of the ’60s EB-0 “SG”  with the tone and feel of the original without the vintage price tag and problems. It includes a Sidewinder humbucker pickup, mahogany neck and body, SlimTaper “D” neck, and come in a classic cherry color.

MSRP: $269.00

Fender Affinity Series Stratocaster

Solid Fender sound, vintage style, a variety of colors—the Fender Affinity Series Stratocaster is one of the best values in electric guitar out there! It comes with chrome hardware, a maple “C”-shaped neck profile, three single-coil Stratocaster pickups with five-way switching, vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge, and a variety of awesome colors.

MSRP: $199.99

Amps

Boss Katana 100 MkII

The Boss Katana 100MkII expands on the tonal qualities of the acclaimed Katana guitar amp series with more sounds, more effects, and more features. With five unique amp characters (Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, and Acoustic), five independent effects sections (Booster, Mod, FX, Delay, and Reverb), a dedicated pedal FX for foot-controlled wah and pedal bend, and updated software and more, the Katana 100 MkII is a steal.

MSRP: $359.99

Fender Champion 20

The Fender Champion 20 is a small practice amp that packs a punch, and the price is very nice. Encompassing a variety of amp types (old and new, U.S. and U.K., and more) the Fender Champion 20 is like having several amps in one. With reverb, delay/echo, chorus, tremolo, Vibratone and other effects, as well as Different amp voicings and distortion types, you get a lot of options for little money! 

MSRP: $129.99

Vox Pathfinder 10 (for guitar and bass)

The Vox Pathfinder 10 is a 10-watt combo that’s all-analog, solid-state, and has that slick Vox aesthetic. It includes a Clean/Overdrive switch,  Gain and Volume controls, Treble and Bass EQ knobs, and an out/headphone jack ideal for direct recording or late-night practice. It also comes in a bass version with similar features! 

MSRP: $89.99

Effects 

TC Electronic Pedals

The world of guitar and bass pedals can be daunting—there’s so many out there, that all seem to do similar things, that you’ll never quite understand until you actually use one. But pedals can be expensive, which is why TC Electronics is a great place for affordable options. The Danish company offers tons of effects pedals under $100, including the Cinders Overdrive, ($49.00) and the Afterglow Chorus ($59.99).

Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator – Rhythm (PO-12)

The Teenage Engineering PO-12 is a 16-sound drum machine and sequencer, perfect for making beats, and in a portable size! Read more about it in our Get Wiser with Synthesizers: A Budget-Friendly Guide for Beginners feature. 

MSRP: $59.00

Ibanez TS Mini Tube Screamer

The Ibanez TS Mini Tube Screamer offers up a smaller version of their classic pedal with the same tone, same huge results, but a smaller price tag. Includes Overdrive, Tone and Level knobs, 100% analog circuitry, and true bypass switching.

 MSRP: $79.99

Accessories

Third Man Records Sound Gadget 

Hand-built by BrandNewNoise, the Third Man Records Sound Gadget does a lot for little. Record, play, loop, and use pitch control effects, and loop! (For more information on Third Man Records, check out this month’s feature on the company and their other awesome guitar gear!

MSRP: $85.00

Snark SN-1 Guitar & Bass Tuner

The Snark Tuner clips directly to your headstock for precise and easy tuning. It also has a tap tempo metronome, pitch calibration, and a transpose feature!

MSRP: $29.99

D’Addario Complete Guitar or Bass Maintenance Kit

We’ve already sung the praises of the D’Addario Complete Guitar or Bass Maintenance Kit and the importance of self-care for your guitar, so we’ll just let you know that this kit has got it all for under $100!

MSRP: $79.99