1. Quick links
2. Early deals
3. FAQ
4. Shopping tips
5. How we choose
6. Why trust us
7. Last year's deals
The Black Friday guitar deals are fast approaching this year, and as usual, I'll be covering all the latest and greatest as and when they land. It's my third year covering Black Friday online, and prior to that, I spent five years in music retail so I know a thing or two about finding a properly good deal.
Last year we had some stone-cold stunners, like a gigantic $500 off a Gibson Les Paul, $340 off the tiny but mighty MESA/Boogie Mini Rectifier 25, and loads of great deals on a huge variety of PRS Guitars, including John Mayer's Silver Sky. It was definitely a good year, and with this year's Black Friday falling on what will likely be payday for most people, I can see this year's being even bigger.
I'd absolutely love to see some deals on some of the fantastic new releases I've reviewed this year, like the Fender Player II Series guitars or the Positive Grid Spark 2, but if I'm totally honest I don't think this will be the case. As they've been so recently released we might see small discounts, but I predict that we're more likely to see big reductions on previous versions, so keep an eye out for original Player Series guitars and the Spark 40.
I'll be covering all the early deals and the main event itself, so if you want to spare yourself the time-consuming trawl through endless pages of deals, make sure you bookmark this page and check back regularly. Myself and the Guitar World team will have a close eye on all the major manufacturers' and retailers' websites, so you'll be sure to find the very best deals on guitar gear right here.
Black Friday guitar deals: Quick links
Below you'll find all the latest Black Friday guitar sales as they're announced:
Amazon: Guitar gear deals
Fender Play: 50% off annual
Fender store: Up to $200 off
Guitar Center: Save on guitars
Guitar Tricks: One-year sub for just $99
IK Multimedia: Buy one get one free
Musician's Friend: 40% off Rocktober
Plugin Boutique: Huge software deals
Positive Grid: Save on Spark
Reverb: Up to a huge 77% off
Sweetwater: Save on gear
Waves: Studio legends sale
Andertons: Save on guitars
Fender Play: 50% off a one-year sub
Gear4Music: Clearance deals
Guitar Tricks: One-year sub for just $99
IK Multimedia: Buy one get one free
Plugin Boutique: Huge software deals
Positive Grid: Save on Spark
PMT: 2nd had deals
Reverb: Save on used gear
Thomann: 70th Anniversary sale
Waves: Studio legends sale
Early Black Friday guitar deals
Black Friday guitar deals: FAQ
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday 2024 will land on Friday, 29 November. The deals will extend across that weekend (also known as Cyber Weekend) before finishing with a bang on with Cyber Monday guitar deals on 2 December.
The deals won't be restricted to those four days, though. Previous experience tells us that some of the best Black Friday guitar deals will emerge well in advance of the event – so keep checking this page to see what epic deals we uncover.
Should I buy guitar gear online during Black Friday?
If you're concerned about buying a guitar or other gear on Black Friday without playing it first, you needn’t be. Online music instrument retailers like Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend and Sweetwater offer hassle-free returns as standard, so you can purchase a guitar, play it in the comfort and privacy of your home and, if it’s not right, send it back without issue.
You should check the specific returns policy for your chosen retailer before you purchase, but most offer between 30-45 days to return an item, as long as it’s in original condition.
What else can I buy during Black Friday 2024?
It's not just about the Black Friday guitar deals in November. Aside from music-making gear discounts, you'll find bargains on great tech like robot vacuum cleaners, iPads, MacBook Pros and Amazon Echos – and you can even pick up groceries, pet food and dishwasher tablets – but it’s the guitar deals we’ll be looking out for.
Black Friday guitar deals: Shopping tips
Got your eye on a few things and wondering whether Black Friday is the time to buy? Here's a few tips from our personal experience that will ensure you're ready to strike if the gear you want is up for grabs:
1. Create a wishlist early - The most sensible way to take advantage of this year's Black Friday music deals is to know in advance what you’re looking for. This will make searching much easier, rather than having to trawl through loads of deals you don’t want to find the ones you do, or pondering things you don't need. To help you create your dream shopping list, take the time to explore our expert and up-to-date buying guides and reviews.
2. Work out what you actually need - Check out your favourite brands, see what you need and will genuinely use - don’t waste your cash and fill your basket with stuff that will never truly see any action.
3. Consider your music goals - What do you want to achieve with your music over the next 12 months or so? Do you want to gig more? Learn a new instrument? Or finally, record your songs? Now could be the time to invest in gear that helps you fulfil your musical aspirations.
4. Streamline your current gear - Something else you should consider ahead of time is whether you have enough space in your collection for new gear. Could you offload some gear you don't use to make room and generate funds for some new gear?
5. Sign up to mailing lists - In addition to bookmarking this page, we'd recommend signing up to mailing lists of your favourite retailers now to get the jump on the best deals when they do come around.
How we choose deals
We spend a large portion of our time reviewing gear, so our fingers are very much on the pulse of what's going on in the world of guitar. Products we've reviewed throughout the year as well as those we use on our own rigs inform our decision on what products we should be highlighting in our deals.
Of course, we have to take into account the price, and that includes whether or not the discount is against the RRP or the regular price of the item in question. Some retailers will try and pull the wool over your eyes with regards to a deal, making it appear as if the discount is much larger than it actually is, and that's where we come in.
We track product prices and deals all throughout the year, so we know whether or not a discount is genuinely good value or just appears to be. We'll only highlight deals that are actually great value for money, and those are what appear here on our Black Friday guitar deals page.
Why you can trust us
At Guitar World, our team is composed of actual guitar players. We play in our own bands, write our own music, record in studios, and gig all over the country. That means that when we present a deal in one of our articles, it will always be on a product we genuinely think is good, something we would use for our music-making.
We spend a lot of our time scouring guitar retailers for fantastic deals on our favorite gear. Not only is it our job to research and recommend the best gear in our buyer’s guides, but we’re also dedicated to helping players get the best deals for the gear they need, too. After all, the only thing better than New Gear Day is a hearty discount.
We cover a lot of the big sales events throughout the year, including Memorial Day, Black Friday, 4th of July sales, and Amazon Prime Day, and we have a good view on which products are likely to receive the biggest discounts and when the prices they’ve been in the past and which deals are genuinely worth a look.
