Buying Guide
Everything published on Viyolens under Buying Guide — reviews, buying advice and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
Guitar Power Amplifiers: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Confused about guitar power amplifiers? This buying guide covers types, wattage needs, specifications to compare, and how to match amps to your actual requirements.
Student Guitar: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A bad student guitar kills motivation. This guide shows you the real difference between price tiers, what makes a student guitar playable, what to check for quality, and how to avoid the false economy...
Student Clarinet: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying your first clarinet is a significant investment. This guide covers what makes a quality student clarinet, specifications to check, budget tiers, and how to choose an instrument that sounds good...
Frame Drum: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The frame drum market is organised by tradition before specification — knowing whether you need a bodhran, riq, daf or general world-percussion drum narrows the choice immediately.
Arturia: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Hardware or software, controller or standalone synth — this guide covers every key buying decision across the full product range at each price point.
Brass: A Complete Buyer's Guide
What to check, what to spend and where buyers most often come unstuck when choosing a brass instrument, new or second-hand.
Stereo Amplifier: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a stereo amplifier rewards clarity about your speakers and your sources far more than it rewards chasing specifications. This guide works through every practical consideration.
Guitar Tool Kit: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing the right guitar tool kit depends on your maintenance needs, guitar collection, and budget. This guide covers essential tools, quality indicators, and price tiers to help you select the perfe...
The Best Congas for the Money
There's no single best conga — only the best one for the music you're playing and the conditions you're playing it in.
Paiste Cymbals: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Paiste makes cymbals for every budget and playing style — here's how to find the right ones without overthinking the range.
Fender Jazzmaster: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A Fender Jazzmaster is a genuinely different guitar to live with than a Strat. Here's what to check, in plain terms, before you buy one.
Synthesizer Keys: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Shopping for synthesizer keys? Learn about key action types, whether you need weighted keys, and how to choose the right size for your needs.
Analog Console Plugin: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing an analog console plugin means balancing sonic character against cost and CPU efficiency. Learn what makes quality emulations valuable, when they're worth the investment, and how to avoid pay...
Kick Drum Microphone: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Kick drum microphones demand specialised equipment and knowledge. Our guide covers what makes them different, key specs, pricing tiers, and professional recording techniques.
Native Instruments Libraries: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The checklist to run through before buying: compatibility, system requirements, licensing and whether you need a bundle at all.
Bongo Drum Instrument: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying bongos means understanding drum size, shell wood, bearing edges, tuning range and price tiers. This guide helps you navigate beginner, intermediate and professional options so you invest in dru...
Bass Vst: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a bass VST requires understanding synthesis categories, CPU demands, and genre-specific needs. Learn how to evaluate sound quality, presets, interface design, and workflow integration to find...
Koto: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A good koto is judged by its wood, its bridges and how honestly every string responds — here's exactly what to check before you buy.
Microphone Stand: A Complete Buyer's Guide
How to buy the right microphone stand for the job, from working out the real load to checking the clutch and thread size.
Tuba: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a tuba requires clarity on pitch (Eb, BBb, CC) and valve type before anything else. This guide covers what to assess at each price point and which brands deliver.
Prs Amplifiers: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A practical buying guide for PRS amplifiers: essential specifications, price tier breakdown, what to ignore, common pitfalls, and step-by-step decision-making process.
Tool Vinyl: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Master the art of purchasing tool vinyl with our comprehensive buying guide. Discover what specifications matter, how to evaluate records before buying, and strategies for building a collection that s...
Vinyl Wall Storage: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Vinyl wall storage transforms collections into displays whilst protecting records. This guide covers structural requirements, environmental considerations, and how to select solutions matching your sp...
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
