Our Recommended Rigs & Gear

The RW200 is a programmable metronome with plenty of volume and easy to use dials and plenty of volume. Built specifically for drummers but a nice substitute for the DB-90 if you want to save some coin.

If you've already got an iPhone this little app has what you need for practice. It's plenty customizable (pay the few bucks for the paid version) and has some great rhythm trainer features. Phone apps use the phone's clock which isn't good for recording but works just fine for practicing. Try the free version and make sure it's what you want.

If you've already got a phone, this little app has what you need for practice. It's plenty customizable (pay the few bucks for the paid version) and has some great rhythm trainer features. Phone apps use the phone's clock which isn't good for recording but works just fine for practicing. Try the free version and make sure it's what you want.

You see this full-featured metronome in all our bass and guitar videos. Where do we begin? Tap tempo, customizable subdivisions with easy to use slider interface, multiple voices including human voice counting, midi and quarter inch cable input so you can practice with headphones in and still hear you guitar. Includes a handy drum hardware connection. It's top of the line but you'll never need another metronome.

My guitar was built by one of my students so you'll never be able to get the exact same thing, but if you are looking for the tone, the pickups are a big part of it. I'll put this pickup up against tele bridge pickup on the market. It's a little hotter and rounder that a standard tele and mixes great with the mini bucker I have in the neck position.

I like a little warmer tone in the neck position but a humbucker can be a little overwhelming on a tele. This mini-bucker is just right and mixes perfectly with the Jerry Donahue bridge pickup.

Okay, this isn't actually on my rig but it would be if I didn't already have a perfectly good volume pedal. Get this one if you need one. It's great. Smooth action and well-weighted.

You've seen me use this in a ton of lessons. It's essentially every version of an Ibanez Tube Screamer (they change over the years). It's incredibly versatile giving everything from clarifying overdrives to heavy, almost fuzz-like tones. The downside is that it takes awhile to get the hang of and requires a number of knob-tweaks to get different tones. I love it though.

This is my octave pedal. I did a full demo of it in the Green Room. I like its ease of use and straight forward control. It's unique enough to stand apart from other octave pedals but still handles everything you need it to.

This is old faithful. It's been with me forever. I might be swayed by a Poly Tune 2 but I can't turn my back on this one. I'm pretty sure I could throw it full speed into a wall and it wouldn't be worse for wear.

Warm tone and the blend knob make this the go to for your rig.

This dual overdrive combines Westminster Effects' Edwards and 1689 overdrives. I love the variation of tones you can get with this pedal - everything from barely breaking to raging tube tone.

This is as close to real tape delay as you're going to get in a digital package. With tap tempo and incredible adjustability it gives you everything you need in this type of an effect.

You've seen me use this a ton in the lessons. The delay and reverb combo is perfect to my liking. My only issue is the lack of tap tempo though it's not a problem in the studio. Man, the tone on this thing...

I like getting my board just right and these George L's are solder less, small, and give you plenty of cable to work with.

Cables do actually make a difference. You might not notice it on its own but put my Monster Cable next to a Whirlwind and you can hear the difference. Monsters are a little pricey but they back it up with their guarantee.

I like getting my board just right and these George L's are solder less, small, and give you plenty of cable to work with.

This one needs the Boss Tuner to work but you can get one that goes directly from the power adapter by Trutone.

Cables do actually make a difference. You might not notice it on its own but put my Monster Cable next to a Whirlwind and you can hear the difference. Monsters are a little pricey but they back it up with their guarantee.

I love these little guys. They feel great and are perfect for both picking and strumming.

I love this capo. Variable pressure and one-handed adjustment make it my go-to. It's so good I've considered driving home to get it rather than using my backup.

This isn't a necessity but it's a fun little tool to have in your bag of tricks. It's an electronic magnet that vibrates the string indefinitely. I first heard Stu G use it on "Obsession" but since then you can find it on a number of songs on the site. "How He Loves" comes to mind.

It looks cool and is cheap. When you are just starting out don't waste money on an awesome guitar. Instead buy this little guy and get a decent "setup" with a good guitar tech and you'll be happy long enough to know you want to keep rolling with this guitar thing.

I wish these had been around when I first started. (It was darn near impossible to make a Peavey Rage sound good). It has enough decent sounding amp models and effects to keep you busy until you are ready to start playing out.

Same as the 2x5 with a little more juice. Would be worth it if you are going to be practicing with other players.

Okay, this isn't actually on my rig but it would be if I didn't already have a perfectly good volume pedal. Get this one if you need one. It's great. Smooth action and well-weighted.

You'll find this bright green pedal on nearly every professional board in the world. There have been different iterations and boutique companies like to create their own versions but for the price, this is what you want. You can sell it later and get something like the Palisades later when you know more about the tone you want.

Nine volt batteries are expensive and if you are going to be playing live you will need at least a stomp box tuner. Spend a little cash up front and save in the long run. This universal nine volt adapter will work with any nine volt pedal.

This is old faithful. It's been with me forever. I might be swayed by a Poly Tune 2 but I can't turn my back on this one. I'm pretty sure I could throw it full speed into a wall and it wouldn't be worse for wear.

I like the Memory Boy for its tone as well as its simple layout. Easy to get the tone you want and as with most EHX pedals you can get some weird stuff too. The ability to add an expression pedal and assign it easily is also a plus.

I like getting my board just right and these George L's are solder less, small, and give you plenty of cable to work with.

This one needs the Boss Tuner to work but you can get one that goes directly from the power adapter by Trutone.

There are a million reverbs out there but the Holy Grail gives you the one you want with one simple knob. Combined with a robust delay there's no ambient work you won't be able to do.

I love my AC-30 but if the AC-15 had a master volume when I was shopping it may have been a better purchase. Great Vox tone in a lighter package. As a church musician you'll probably never turn it up past "1".

I started with this before I moved to Vox. It's a great little tube amp at the right price. Amps are all about preference but this is a go-to for many guitarists I know. I just dig that Vox tone a little more.

I. LOVE. THIS. AMP. It's expensive. It's super heavy (75 lbs!). But the tone. Oh, the tone. You probably don't need one if you aren't touring or recording but I got it when I was younger and I'll never get rid of it. Check out the AC-15 (above) if you want something similar at a lighter weight and lower price point.

If your church has a good monitor system and you don't already own an amp and a bunch of pedals, this pedal is awesome. It has a ton of amp models and effects and it will keep your sound engineer happy with it's non-existent stage volume. Plus, no herniated discs carrying it around. You can even download the Worship Artistry patch for free. (Look for it in the Green Room.)

The GT-100 Floor Amp and Effects pedal is a competitor with the Pod HD500X. It has load of amps and effects that are clearly Boss. The dual screen and knob interface on the actual pedal is easier to use than the Pod but the Pod programming software wins on the desktop. The biggest differentiator is tone. The Pod has a more realistic and dirtier amp tone while the Boss gives you a pristine, more digital sounding tone. I personally prefer the POD for the same price but check out the demos and choose for yourself.

You've seen me use this in a ton of lessons. It's essentially every version of an Ibanez Tube Screamer (they change over the years). It's incredibly versatile giving everything from clarifying overdrives to heavy, almost fuzz-like tones. The downside is that it takes awhile to get the hang of and requires a number of knob-tweaks to get different tones. I love it though.

This is my octave pedal. I did a full demo of it in the Green Room. I like its ease of use and straight forward control. It's unique enough to stand apart from other octave pedals but still handles everything you need it to.

If your church has a good monitor system and you don't already own an amp and a bunch of pedals, this pedal is awesome. It has a ton of amp models and effects and it will keep your sound engineer happy with it's non-existent stage volume. Plus, no herniated discs carrying it around. You can even download the Worship Artistry patch for free. (Look for it in the Green Room.)

You'll find this bright green pedal on nearly every professional board in the world. There have been different iterations and boutique companies like to create their own versions but for the price, this is what you want. You can sell it later and get something like the Palisades later when you know more about the tone you want.

The Poly Tune 2 is not only the right size for your board but the right size for your wallet. It's accurate and can even tune multiple strings at the same time.

To me it's a toss-up between this guy and the Memory Boy. Both pack a lot of punch at this price point. The Flashback has a ton of different delays as well as TC Helicon's Tone Print technology. I also dig that you "tap" the tempo by strumming your strings. Pretty cool.

I like the Memory Boy for its tone as well as its simple layout. Easy to get the tone you want and as with most EHX pedals you can get some weird stuff too. The ability to add an expression pedal and assign it easily is also a plus.

I love this little compressor. It's great to throw on both strumming and fingerpicking and the blend knob keeps you from sounding over compressed. It's on my wishlist so I'm hoping to move it to the "my rig" category shortly.

The GT-100 Floor Amp and Effects pedal is a competitor with the Pod HD500X. It has load of amps and effects that are clearly Boss. The dual screen and knob interface on the actual pedal is easier to use than the Pod but the Pod programming software wins on the desktop. The biggest differentiator is tone. The Pod has a more realistic and dirtier amp tone while the Boss gives you a pristine, more digital sounding tone. I personally prefer the POD for the same price but check out the demos and choose for yourself.

There are a million reverbs out there but the Holy Grail gives you the one you want with one simple knob. Combined with a robust delay there's no ambient work you won't be able to do.

I love this little compressor. It's great to throw on both strumming and fingerpicking and the blend knob keeps you from sounding over compressed. It's on my wishlist so I'm hoping to move it to the "my rig" category shortly.

You've heard about Singing Success on our podcast a few times. This is a foundational course. It features nearly 30 hours of instruction and exercise that's easy to customize to your focus. The exercises create muscle memory and help you build muscle control, extend your range and develop your style. You can buy the full CD set or simply download it for a significant discount.