Welcome to MusicRadar’s deals of the week, where I share the very best offers on top-rated musical equipment from across the web. This week, we’re turning the spotlight on all things PA speakers and live sound, as two of the biggest live sound sales are happening right now.
Guitar Center is offering up to 25% off legendary sound gear, including industry-standard brands like Yamaha, JBL, Alto, Shure, and more. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your PA, invest in new speakers, or grab a reliable microphone, there are some incredible savings to be had.
Meanwhile, Musician’s Friend is running Live Sound Month, with up to 40% off a huge range of live audio essentials from speakers and mixers, to lights, cables, and so much more. If you’re involved in live performance, now is the perfect time to find a great deal on the gear you need.
So, a little bit of background on me, I’m a fully qualified sound engineer with a degree in audio production, and hands-on experience working in venues and theatres across Scotland. I know what it takes to deliver professional-grade sound, and to me, these deals represent some real opportunities for pro-level upgrades at a fraction of the usual price.
Editor's picks
Looking for more bargains? Check out more recommended sales below:
- Thomann: Shop hot deals
- Fender Shop: Shop discounted Strats & Teles
- IK Multimedia: Save on iRig and AXE I/O
- Plugin Boutique: Save big on plugins
- Positive Grid: Smart amp sale
- Reverb: Save big on top brands
How we choose our deals of the week
Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear-related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our deals.
Our mission is simple - to help you make the best buying decision, find the right gear at the right price, to make the best music you can.
For us to recommend a deal it has to be a product we rate that’s been reduced to a genuinely great price or part of a truly fantastic bundle. It’s also important that we only recommend retailers that we trust.
You can see more of our product recommendations in our buyer's guides and reviews.
Why you can trust our choices
Our editors and writers are all experienced musicians and experts in their fields. They have a deep understanding of the categories that they cover, which means that you can trust their choices when it comes to recommending products.
We pride ourselves on the independence, quality and reliability of our testing processes and the reviews it produces. It’s what has made us the world’s leading music-making publishing company. You can find more details on how we test some specific key product categories, but the principles apply across the board, rigorously assessing build quality, functionality, playability and, of course, sonic performance.
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 of 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.
Where are the best places to shop?
Online shopping is definitely a lot easier and more secure than it used to be, and we like to recommend a small handful of online retailers who have a sterling reputation and offer fantastic benefits like fuss-free returns, great customer service and, in some cases, full checks and setup of guitars before they are dispatched. So, all the deals we’ll recommend on this page are from retailers that tick these boxes.
What sort of deals should I look for?
Great deals come in all shapes and sizes. There are a few key types to look out for:
- Single item - A single product with a great discount
- Site-wide discounts - A single discount percentage on a large range of products across a site
- Discount codes - Load your basket to a certain value and redeem a discount code for money off your basket contents
- Added value deals - These include multi-buy discounts, or additional products or software for free when you buy certain items
