Don't waste time shopping Amazon's Prime sale - these 6 alternatives are way better for musicians
Looking for a bargain today? These sales are where it's at for musicians. And none of them are Amazon

If you’ve ever used Amazon before it’s likely you’ve been spammed to high heaven about their latest Prime Big Deal Days event which is taking place today and tomorrow. If you’ve headed over to Jeff Bezos’ place expecting countless deals on music gear, you’re going to be disappointed (barring a couple of decent Positive Grid and Boss deals). If you’re after an air fryer, fill ‘yer boots, but the real action for musicians is happening away from Amazon, and we’ve rounded-up all the best sales here.
As we’ve seen in the past, events like this and Prime Day usually spark dedicated music retailers like Guitar Center, Sweetwater and Musician’s Friend into a price-cutting frenzy themselves. So, while it’s not worth spending much of your time on Amazon today, there are plenty of places currently running epic sales.
As we approach this year’s Black Friday music deals, in our experience we’re going to start seeing more and more early deals, some of which will eclipse what we see on Black Friday itself. So, whether you’re looking to gear up your recording rig, pick up a shiny new pair of studio headphones, or finally pull the trigger on that electronic drum set you’ve been pawing at online, we are firmly in optimal deals territory now.
Guitar Center Guitar-A-Thon: Up to 35% off
Guitar Center's Guitar-A-Thon is live until October 11, giving you a couple of days to bag some bargain gear. With up to 35% off a huge range of guitars, amps, and effects, it's a top choice for finding a great deal this week.
Deal highlights
Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro V: $2,499, now $1,799
Epiphone Hummingbird Performer: $479, now $360
Fender Player Stratocaster: $1,049.99, now $799.99
Fender Vintera sale: Save up to $280
Since the release of the new Vintera II series, we’ve been waiting for the OG Vintera prices to drop, and that day has finally arrived! You can make hundreds of dollars in savings on some killer models. Including these headline acts:
Deal highlights:
Fender Vintera 50s Strat: $1,099.99, now $879.99
Fender Vintera 70s Telecaster Custom: Save $230
Fender Vintera 60s Jaguar Modified HH: Save $280
Sweetwater Recording Month: Save on studio gear
From plugins to mics and audio interfaces, Sweetwater has earmarked September as the month they help budding producers gear up their home studios for less. With products up for grabs from Lewitt, Universal Audio, Focusrite and more, you should be able to kickstart or enhance your recording setup all while making decent savings. The sale runs through October 31.
Deal highlights:
Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 (3rd Gen): $259.99, now $219.99
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X BT2 headphones: Save $40
IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 Max: $299.99, now $99.99
Musician’s Friend: 40th anniversary up to 40% sale
Musician’s Friend is celebrating its 40th birthday in style this year and spreading the birthday love to its customers. You can save up to 40% off a wide range of guitar gear – from acoustics and electrics to amps and effects – through October 29.
Deal highlights:
Fender Player Telecaster Plus Top: $879.99, now $719.99
Gretsch G2657T Streamliner Center Block Jr: $Save $150
Fender Blues Junior IV: Save 10% with an account
IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 SE: $149.99, now $59.99
If you’re looking to start recording but feel you’re lacking in sounds, virtual gear is usually the way to go, giving you countless amps and effects at your fingertips, minus the outlay of loads of physical gear. This stripped back Special Edition of the awesome AmpliTube 5 is a great place to start if your budget won’t stretch.
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I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest music gear, with a particular focus on electronic drums, it's my job to manage the 300+ buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear for them at the best prices. I dabble with guitar, but my main instrument is the drums, which I have been playing for 24 years. I've been a part of the music gear industry for 20 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance music writer, during which time I worked with the world's biggest instrument brands including Roland, Boss, Laney and Natal.