Buying Guide
Everything published on Viyolens under Buying Guide — reviews, buying advice and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
4 Channel Audio Mixer: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A practical guide to choosing a 4 channel audio mixer, covering specifications, sound quality, price tiers, and how to match the right model to your workflow.
The Best Pa Subwoofers for the Money
No manufactured rankings, no fake benchmarks — just a clear-eyed look at what's genuinely worth buying at each PA subwoofer price tier and application type.
Choosing a Kids Ukulele: Size, Setup and Tuning
A good kids ukulele opens doors to music quickly. Discover what size suits your child, what to look for when buying, and how to support their first chords.
Powered Speakers Hifi for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Powered speakers offer the simplest entry into HiFi listening. Skip the complexity of separates and enjoy high-quality sound straight away—we show you how to choose your first pair.
Electric Double Bass: A Complete Buyer's Guide
An electric double bass offers amplification, portability, and silent practise—but it's a different instrument from acoustic bass. This guide explains the types, specs, and considerations so you choos...
Martin Lighting: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing Martin Professional lighting means understanding what the company specialises in, which products fit your scale and budget, and how to match lighting to your actual needs without overspending...
Roland Keyboard: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The range runs from pocket-friendly beginner keyboards to full production workstations. Here's how to work out which Roland actually fits you.
Bag Piano: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a bag piano depends on your keyboard size and protection needs. Our buying guide shows you what features matter and what to avoid.
Sp 404: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Four real generations share the SP-404 name — here's what actually separates them, and how to buy the right one with confidence.
Dd 500 Pedal: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The Boss DD-500 delay pedal represents professional-grade effects processing in a compact format. Understanding its strengths and learning curve helps you decide if it's the right investment.
Gibson Les Paul Black: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Custom, Standard, Studio or Epiphone — here is exactly how to tell the black Les Pauls apart before you spend a penny.
The Best Gibson Firebird Guitars for the Money
From an Epiphone first-timer to a collector's 1960s original, here's how the different tiers of Gibson Firebird actually compare.
The Complete Guide to Bass Guitar Octave Pedal
A bass guitar octave pedal generates synthesised harmonics one or two octaves above or below your played pitch, creating rich, complex bass textures in real time. Perfect for adding power and texture...
The Best Cymbals for the Money
Price and quality do not track together in cymbals. A tier-by-tier look at where your money buys real improvement — and where it just buys a name on the box.
The Best English Horns for the Money
There's no honest way to hand you a numbered ranking of models. Here's the tiers, what separates them, and which makers work in each.
Rickenbacker Electric Bass Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a Rickenbacker bass isn't quite like any other instrument purchase. Here's how to pick the right model and check a used one properly.
The Complete Guide to Octave Effect Pedal
An octave effect pedal instantly transforms your guitar tone by generating pitches an octave or more above or below your playing. Learn what makes them tick and how to choose the right one.
The Best U 87 Neumanns for the Money
There's no single best one, just the best route for your situation. Here's how buying new, going vintage or simply renting actually compares.
Akai Keyboard: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Selecting an Akai keyboard requires understanding key features and matching them to your use case. This buying guide covers key counts, touch action, sound quality, effects, build quality, price tiers...
Audio Zoom Recorder: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing the right audio zoom recorder requires understanding specs and real-world performance. This guide helps you navigate preamp quality, inputs, and features to find the perfect recorder for your...
Dj Booth: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A booth from one retailer is a load-bearing workstation; from another, it's a decorative panel. Here's how to buy the right one for how you actually work.
Turbosound: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Turbosound speakers deliver professional quality for touring and installations. Discover how to match models to venue size, evaluate specifications, and choose wisely.
Common Kids Guitar Mistakes to Avoid
Most 'why won't my kid practise' problems trace back to the guitar, not the child. Here are the avoidable mistakes I see most, and the fixes that actually work.
The Complete Guide to Acoustic Guitar Tuners
An acoustic guitar tuner ensures you stay in tune reliably. This guide covers tuner types, features that matter, top recommendations like the Snark and Boss TU-12, and how to choose the right one for...
Buying Guide is filed under
All topics
Epiphone
Accessible guitars with classic styling, covering electrics, acoustics and semi-hollows for players at every level.
28 topics
Epiphone Les Paul
Classic single-cut electrics with thick tone, long sustain and strong appeal for rock, blues and lead players.
5 topics
ESP
High-performance electric guitars with fast playability, strong output and a bold look suited to rock and metal.
Fender
Fender guitars and related instruments trusted for classic design, tone and versatility.
51 topics
Fender Stratocaster
The fender stratocaster is a versatile electric guitar known for bright tones, comfort and wide genre appeal.
8 topics
Fender Telecaster
The fender telecaster delivers bright, punchy electric guitar tone with dependable playability for stage and studio use.
11 topics
Kids Guitar
Scaled-down guitars for younger players, with comfortable sizes that make learning easier and more enjoyable.
Les Paul
Iconic solid-body electrics known for sustain, thick tone and a classic rock and blues feel.
14 topics
