The holidays are quickly approaching, and the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale is in full swing for the next two days (October 11th and 12th). Amazon Prime sales can be awesome, but a lot of the time for musicians they leave much to be desired in the things we really want.
For those of you that might have musicians in your life when you yourself aren’t one, finding a good gift that will actually light up your loved one’s face can be tough. A lot of the items in the musician categories on Amazon’s staggering offering of products are from brands you’ve never heard of. Or maybe it’s a brand you’ve heard of, but there are so many versions of things that look the same, you’re not sure where to begin.
Dangers of Not Knowing
When you’re shopping for a guitarist and trying to catch a deal, a sale from the biggest box store of all, Amazon, can sound like a great move. But talk to any seasoned musician and you’ll quickly learn that a lot of the stuff on there is far from professional grade. It’s no problem if your musician is just dipping their toes in, but getting someone who knows their stuff the wrong thing can absolutely backfire!
Fortunately, this particular sale highlights two big, trusted brands in the music industry: Fender and D’Addario. Fender is a big enough name that you’ve probably heard of them, even if you know nothing about music. D’Addario might not be as familiar to you, but they’re a reputable brand famous for their instrument accessories. They support not only guitarists, but other musicians like clarinetists, saxophonists, drummers, and more, all with great products.
Offerings from Fender
Fender is a massive brand that meets musicians where they’re at, whether that’s at the beginner to intermediate level with their Squier line of instruments, all the way to the touring professional with American-made and Custom Shop models. The Prime Early Access Sale boasts many options for a wide variety of players. One important thing to note is that this sale does not have any representation from the made-in-USA series of Fender instruments
This sale has big savings on electric guitars and basses from the Vintera, Player, Classic Vibe, and Affinity series. So what’s the difference?
Vintera Series
Fender’s Vintera series is a callback to three decades of their guitars. The 50s, 60s, and 70s models from the Vintera line of instruments are designed and voiced to sound like the guitars of those decades. The savings in the Prime Early Access Sale sit between $200-300 depending on the model. These are a great deal for an instrument lover with vintage tastes!
Images courtesy of Amazon.com
Player Series
If the Vintera series is a faithful recreation, the Player series is a modern take on a classic. Fender Player guitars and basses use familiar shapes, but are have a more modern use case in mind.
Squier Classic Vibe
Squier is a sub-brand of Fender that boasts a line of guitars generally aimed at beginner to intermediate level players. In the past, seeing “Squier” on the headstock of a guitar or bass was less desirable. The budget-friendly offerings and “made in China” note on the back of the guitar came with a stigma. In recent years, Fender has spent a lot of effort increasing the quality and playability of their Squier instruments. The Classic Vibe series is testament to that. These guitars offer the look and feel of vintage guitars and basses at a very friendly price. Amazon’s Early Access Sale offers a ton of additional savings on top of that, for an overall excellent value.
Squier Affinity Series
Squier’s Affinity series of guitars and basses offer modern playability and sound at a budget-friendly price. If the player in your life is looking for a solid first instrument, or a project instrument, these are a great option! The Prime Early Access Sale has two great options from the Affinity series, including Fender’s very cool Starcaster semi-hollow shape.
D’Addario Offerings
As briefly discussed earlier, D’Addario is primarily an accessory maker. Their offerings on the Prime Early Access Sale look like they’re primarily targeting guitarists and drummers. Even if your musician already has an instrument, there are a lot of other tools and pieces they’ll always need. D’Addario has an impressive catalog of these kinds of products. Here are a few of the options they list for the Amazon sale, along with some impressive savings:
Happy Shopping!
Hopefully this list helps give you some ideas if you’re planning on picking up something nice for the musician in your life! Let us know in the comments if you found this helpful or there’s anything you’d like to see from us on resources for musicians!
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