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September 4, 2026
All-Star Beginner Gear
The best gear to get started on
We all start somewhere. But as musicians, the gear we start on makes a big difference. Whether you aspire to be a festival-rocking DJ or a worshiped drum virtuoso, it's crucial to start out with gear that will inspire you to go further and develop your talents.
We've put together a list of great gear to get started on, complete with quotes from happy owners. With so many affordable, feature-packed picks for any musician, you're sure to find some great starter gear for yourself or the young musician in your life!
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We've put together a list of great gear to get started on, complete with quotes from happy owners. With so many affordable, feature-packed picks for any musician, you're sure to find some great starter gear for yourself or the young musician in your life!
Beginner Electric Guitar: Jackson JS Series Dinky JS11
Our Customers Say...
"I am impressed with the quality and sound for a lower priced model...I am just learning how to check and set intonation but from what i could tell it was almost spot on. Neck is comfortable for me. I really like the fingerboard radius. Frets are dressed well. The pups sound good both clean and distorted."
- Brian P in Riverton, UT
"Really nice entry level guitar...Quality is excellent; arrived with no issues at all...Playable out of the box, holds tuning well. Neck is comfortable; easy to play."
- James C in Streetsboro, OH
"This guitar is a steal for the price and feels amazing in the hand. Amazing quality!"
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $209.99!
"I am impressed with the quality and sound for a lower priced model...I am just learning how to check and set intonation but from what i could tell it was almost spot on. Neck is comfortable for me. I really like the fingerboard radius. Frets are dressed well. The pups sound good both clean and distorted."
- Brian P in Riverton, UT
"Really nice entry level guitar...Quality is excellent; arrived with no issues at all...Playable out of the box, holds tuning well. Neck is comfortable; easy to play."
- James C in Streetsboro, OH
"This guitar is a steal for the price and feels amazing in the hand. Amazing quality!"
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $209.99!
Beginner Acoustic-Electric Guitar: Yamaha APX-600
Our Customers Say...
"The amplified acoustic sound I was looking for in a guitar that weighs less than 7 pounds with a neck as thin as my custom Strat. What more could I ask for? The fit and finish are flawless. Intonation was spot on. Easiest 'acoustic ' guitar I ever played."
- Bluesman Sammy Guy in Pocono Mtns, PA
"I looked at alot of other guitars before buying this one and man did I make the right choice. Great sounding and easily playable."
- Phillip in Roanoke Rapids, NC
"I bought this guitar for my wife. I mainly play electric and she wanted to learn acoustic. This guitar is beautiful and has great tone. Very impressed for the price and the main thing is the wife loves it!"
- Austin in Haw River, NC
Own it for $389.99 or 8 payments of $48.75!
"The amplified acoustic sound I was looking for in a guitar that weighs less than 7 pounds with a neck as thin as my custom Strat. What more could I ask for? The fit and finish are flawless. Intonation was spot on. Easiest 'acoustic ' guitar I ever played."
- Bluesman Sammy Guy in Pocono Mtns, PA
"I looked at alot of other guitars before buying this one and man did I make the right choice. Great sounding and easily playable."
- Phillip in Roanoke Rapids, NC
"I bought this guitar for my wife. I mainly play electric and she wanted to learn acoustic. This guitar is beautiful and has great tone. Very impressed for the price and the main thing is the wife loves it!"
- Austin in Haw River, NC
Own it for $389.99 or 8 payments of $48.75!
Beginner Electric Bass: Ibanez SR300E
Our Customers Say...
"I have only been playing for six months. I started out on a Yamaha 170 I got as a gift. I wanted to upgrade but I didn't want to over reach. The SR300E fills that need. It's a sure upgrade (love the electronics) and it's an instrument I feel I can stay with for years to come."
- Edith in Sauk Village, IL
"Took the leap on a friend's advice and went with the Ibanez SR300E. Holy cow. After struggling for months it’s like the clouds opened up and the sun is shining on me. Thin neck (thinner than I’ve been playing) and super responsive. The action is incredible. Wish I had bought this first."
- Mark in Grover Beach, CA
"If you are new to bass, or need a backup for your regular player, I would highly recommend the SR300E. I see it becoming my regular player because of its features and sound."
- Jason in Moorefield, WV
Own it for $379.99 or 8 payments of $47.50!
"I have only been playing for six months. I started out on a Yamaha 170 I got as a gift. I wanted to upgrade but I didn't want to over reach. The SR300E fills that need. It's a sure upgrade (love the electronics) and it's an instrument I feel I can stay with for years to come."
- Edith in Sauk Village, IL
"Took the leap on a friend's advice and went with the Ibanez SR300E. Holy cow. After struggling for months it’s like the clouds opened up and the sun is shining on me. Thin neck (thinner than I’ve been playing) and super responsive. The action is incredible. Wish I had bought this first."
- Mark in Grover Beach, CA
"If you are new to bass, or need a backup for your regular player, I would highly recommend the SR300E. I see it becoming my regular player because of its features and sound."
- Jason in Moorefield, WV
Own it for $379.99 or 8 payments of $47.50!
Beginner Mixer: Mackie ProFX6v3
Our Customers Say...
"For the price it’s a great deal and most importantly the sound is clean and professional with transparency and not a loss of tone. If you’re looking for a small mixer for solo or duo gigs with a small footprint and everything you need built-in this may be the mixer you’re looking for."
- Victor in Princeton, NJ
"It's also perfect for laying down tracks in your DAW or used as a small DJ mixer, as you can monitor recorded and live tracks. Perfect for practicing w headphones, too. Mackie quality in a small footprint, no complaints."
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $189.99 or 6 payments of $31.66!
"For the price it’s a great deal and most importantly the sound is clean and professional with transparency and not a loss of tone. If you’re looking for a small mixer for solo or duo gigs with a small footprint and everything you need built-in this may be the mixer you’re looking for."
- Victor in Princeton, NJ
"It's also perfect for laying down tracks in your DAW or used as a small DJ mixer, as you can monitor recorded and live tracks. Perfect for practicing w headphones, too. Mackie quality in a small footprint, no complaints."
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $189.99 or 6 payments of $31.66!
Beginner Audio Interface: MOTU M2 USB Interface
Our Customers Say...
"I believe this is leagues ahead of most interfaces in terms of sound quality...The dynamic range is amazing."
- A Happy Owner
"You have your visual eye candy to see your levels...and the sound is so so pleasing!...I have to tell you, I can work this thing like I had it for many years. I'm a fan for life, and take away the price, and compare it to other units, MOTU will still have more value hands down!"
- Hurvey J. in San Diego, CA
"The best audio interface at its price range."
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $199.95!
"I believe this is leagues ahead of most interfaces in terms of sound quality...The dynamic range is amazing."
- A Happy Owner
"You have your visual eye candy to see your levels...and the sound is so so pleasing!...I have to tell you, I can work this thing like I had it for many years. I'm a fan for life, and take away the price, and compare it to other units, MOTU will still have more value hands down!"
- Hurvey J. in San Diego, CA
"The best audio interface at its price range."
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $199.95!
Beginner DJ Controller: Pioneer DJ DDJ-REV1 DJ Controller
Our Customers Say...
"I find this DJ controller better than others and it's because of the battle style layout it's in. It reminds me of DJing on turntables (record players) but without the rotating platters. I'm an old school progressive house/90s dance type of DJ that has DJ'd in many large nightclubs as a resident/event and a former radio DJ. Out of all the DJ controllers that I've tried, I would have to say this one is the best one! I can scratch and beatmix better on it."
- A Happy Owner
"Perfect for places with smaller DJ Booths. Very compact easy to store and easy to carry around."
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $299.00 or 8 payments of $37.38!
"I find this DJ controller better than others and it's because of the battle style layout it's in. It reminds me of DJing on turntables (record players) but without the rotating platters. I'm an old school progressive house/90s dance type of DJ that has DJ'd in many large nightclubs as a resident/event and a former radio DJ. Out of all the DJ controllers that I've tried, I would have to say this one is the best one! I can scratch and beatmix better on it."
- A Happy Owner
"Perfect for places with smaller DJ Booths. Very compact easy to store and easy to carry around."
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $299.00 or 8 payments of $37.38!
Beginner Studio Condenser Mic: Audio-Technica AT2035
Our Customers Say...
"A great sounding large-diaphragm condenser mic for a very reasonable price...I use it on acoustic guitar and vocals...It has a very open and natural sound...Sounds great with practically no EQ or processing...This is the most mic for the money I have seen in a large-diaphragm mic."
- A Happy Owner
"In the budget mic category you can't go wrong with an AT2035...Plug it in and start recording."
- A Happy Owner
"Wow! That was the first word that came to mind after listening to this mic. I am a professional voice over artist, and I have recorded at some great studios with great mics...I can safely say this one is in my top 3...Tremendous value. You'll think you paid hundreds for this mic!"
- Joseph A.
Own it for $159.00 or 6 payments of $26.50!
"A great sounding large-diaphragm condenser mic for a very reasonable price...I use it on acoustic guitar and vocals...It has a very open and natural sound...Sounds great with practically no EQ or processing...This is the most mic for the money I have seen in a large-diaphragm mic."
- A Happy Owner
"In the budget mic category you can't go wrong with an AT2035...Plug it in and start recording."
- A Happy Owner
"Wow! That was the first word that came to mind after listening to this mic. I am a professional voice over artist, and I have recorded at some great studios with great mics...I can safely say this one is in my top 3...Tremendous value. You'll think you paid hundreds for this mic!"
- Joseph A.
Own it for $159.00 or 6 payments of $26.50!
Beginner Drum Set: Tama Club-JAM Flyer
Our Customers Say...
"I absolutely LOVE this kit... 100%! I play a lot of smaller clubs as well as bigger venues, so I thought I would give this set a try. The footprint is tiny, but the sound isn't."
- A Happy Owner
"The kit is tiny. It will be easy to travel with. The sound is amazing!! Even the tiny bass drum has a surprising amount of punch!! This makes 3 Tama sets that I currently own. You can’t go wrong with Tama or zZounds!"
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $529.99 or 8 payments of $66.25!
"I absolutely LOVE this kit... 100%! I play a lot of smaller clubs as well as bigger venues, so I thought I would give this set a try. The footprint is tiny, but the sound isn't."
- A Happy Owner
"The kit is tiny. It will be easy to travel with. The sound is amazing!! Even the tiny bass drum has a surprising amount of punch!! This makes 3 Tama sets that I currently own. You can’t go wrong with Tama or zZounds!"
- A Happy Owner
Own it for $529.99 or 8 payments of $66.25!
