2024 Virtual Guitar Buying Guide
There are as many use cases for virtual guitars as there are musicians. If you dont play guitar, a great virtual guitar plugin or sample library will allow you to create great-sounding guitar parts that you can use in your productions.
If you are a guitarist, being able to create high-quality mockups before you record the real thing can help your songwriting and arrangement.
It can also be a time-saver to use a virtual guitar for double-tracking: you can play one track live and pan it hard-left, and then use a virtual guitar for another track panned hard-right.
But before we get into those details, let's establish...
What is a virtual guitar?
Simply put, a virtual guitar is a type of virtual instrument or sample library that features the sound of a solo electric or acoustic guitar that you can either perform or sequence in your digital audio workstation (DAW). An example is our Shreddage 3 Hydra, pictured below.
For the purposes of this guide, we're not talking about individual guitar loops, or 'phrase' libraries with pre-recorded multiple-note performances. These can be useful too, but they're not the same as virtual guitars.
These can be created as native plugins in VST, AU, or AAX formats, programmed for specific samplers like Kontakt or Falcon. Are there advantages to one format or another?
Kontakt vs. Custom Players: Which Wins?
Our virtual guitars are all created for the free Kontakt Player platform by Native Instruments.
Kontakt's strengths are its excellent performance playing samples 'direct from disk' (reducing RAM usage), stability, and compatibility with just about all music-making software. Its copy protection is also unobtrusive, without needing an 'always-on' internet connection or hardware dongle.
Companies like Amplesound and Spitfire develop custom player plugins to power their virtual guitars, which are not available for other companies to use.
The upside of these players is that they support functionality not possible in Kontakt: unique strum visualization, sequencers, integration with an online store, better internal FX, and so on.
The downside is they can be CPU-intensive or prone to crashing and compatibility problems. Their copy protection methods may also be more onerous.
However, in 2024, the distinction between a custom player and Kontakt really doesn't matter much. A great virtual guitar can be on either platform. The recordings, editing, and features are where the differences truly lie.
The Right Guitar to Sample
As any guitarist will tell you, there can be huge differences between models. A six string Fender Stratocaster sounds nothing like Schecter Damien Platinum eight string.
These differences are due to a number of factors, with some relevant more for electric guitars and some for acoustic.
- The types of strings used (steel, nylon, nickel-plated steel)
- The pickups used (humbuckers, single coil, active, passive)
- The guitar body type (fully acoustic, hybrid, hollowbody, fully-electric)
- Whether a pick was used or fingers
Of course, most of these variables can be normalized between guitars. A Strat normally comes with single-coil pickups, but you could put those on a different guitar just as easily.
Still, when it comes to virtual guitars, most developers take into consideration the kind of sound people think about when they reach for a specific guitar, and will record the guitar in its most traditional and desirable configuration.
So when it comes to your virtual guitar purchase, which real guitar is right for you?
One approach to deciding this is to look at what actual guitarists in your genre are using. If you're making djent, you probably want a low-tuned 7 or 8-string. If you're doing jazz fusion, a hollowbody might make more sense.
If you want to hear some differences in our own Shreddage 3 product line, check out our series of comparison videos showing the same MIDI being sent through various Shreddage 3 guitars below.
Articulations & Playing Techniques
The core of a great virtual guitar is what the guitarist actually records.
The most simple and straightforward approach is to record each possible pitch once, and map the recordings across the keyboard. This is what you might hear in old sample libraries and on certain keyboard workstations.
But this is not realistic, and won't help you create accurate mockups of real guitar parts.
At a bare minimum, it's important to capture multiple playing techniques (or articulations) - for example, not only sustained notes, but also palm mutes, tremolo, and harmonics.
With the Shreddage 3 series, we choose to also sample multiple degrees of palm mutedness. For example, here's a very muted riff with Shreddage 3 Jupiter, suitable for really aggressive, chugging rhythms. You'll hear the dry (DI) version, then an amped version.
Shreddage 3 Jupiter: Very Muted Riff
Shreddage 3 Jupiter: Half Muted Riff
These are the same articulation, but played at different velocities, with lower velocities being more muted. The S3 series features up to 6 mute levels, which lets you really breathe life into rhythm parts.
Dynamics, Picking, Round Robins
Playing a guitar softly, compared to really digging in to the strings, results in a sound that isn't just quieter. The attack and timbre of the sound changes, too. That's why having multiple recorded dynamic layers is important.
Some of our older, metal-focused libraries like Shreddage 3 Rogue have 2 dynamics for sustained notes, a choice we made because at high amp gains, those dynamic differences are less important.
On the other hand, our intricate Rosette Fingerstyle acoustic guitar has 5 dynamics!
No matter what style or genre you're playing in, you absolutely must have round robins, or "RRs", which are just different recordings of the same technique, on the same note, at the same dynamic, to simply add some variation.
More variations can also be added by recording different pick directions (up and down).
Check out this Meshuggah riff played with Shreddage 3 Hydra which uses 8 separate RRs (4 down, 4 up) for the palm mute chugging. Then, compare with the version that uses only down picks, for just 4 separate RRs.
Shreddage 3 Hydra - 4x Down, 4x Up RRs
Shreddage 3 Hydra - 4x Down Only RRs
The results speak for themselves! When shopping for a good virtual guitar instrument or plugin, look for as many RRs as possible so you can write more realistic rhythm parts.
Sampling Across Frets and Strings
You may have noticed that most (but not all) virtual guitars have a way of visualizing the fretboard, so you can see which string is being played and which fret.
But why does this matter?
With standard tuning, you can play the same pitch (for example C4) on multiple strings. And the timbre (tone) of that pitch will be different depending on which you choose.
A simple way to think about it is this: playing lower frets will have a brighter, twangier sound, while higher frets sound more 'rounded' and decay faster.
Here's a melody played by our Shreddage 3 Telos guitar on lower frets, compared to higher frets. Note how the higher frets sound more mellow!
Shreddage 3 Telos - Neck Pickup, Low Fret Position
Shreddage 3 Telos - Neck Pickup, High Fret Position
When buying a virtual guitar, make sure it has all strings sampled from the lowest to highest fret so that you can use these different tonal colors in your tracks.
Pickup Positions (Electric Guitars)
Electric guitars are usually sampled direct-in, or "DI", meaning the output from the guitar is totally clean with no amp or effects applied. This gives you the most flexibility for adding your own tone.
(If a virtual guitar was recorded with effects like distortion, this severely limits how realistic it can be, and what kinds of tones you can get...)
For even more flexibility, you can look for a virtual electric guitar that has multiple pickups recorded.
Switching pickups has a huge effect on the overall sound, and it's something that can't be achieved just with EQ or other kinds of emulation.
In the above audio examples, you heard the neck position of Shreddage 3 Telos, which has a smooth and mellow tone. Now compare it with the bridge position:
Shreddage 3 Telos - Low Fret Position
For this particular melody, the bridge position is way too bright and twangy... but if you were writing surf music, or an aggressive guitar solo, you'll definitely want that option.
Many Shreddage 3 guitars have two pickups, with Shreddage 3 Stratus featuring three: bridge, neck, and the middle position which offers a nice balance.
Mic Positions (Acoustic Guitars)
While some acoustic guitars can have a DI signal, the typical acoustic sound people look for in a virtual acoustic comes from actual microphones. But which ones should you use?
There are an infinite number of possible mic configurations when recording an acoustic guitar, and as sample library developers, we have to choose which we think will work best.
In a live performance, something like a single SM-57 might get the job done:
However, for a sample library, you ideally want at least two separate mic tracks that you can control independently. One mic track might be a stereo pair of condensers, giving a bright and wide sound, and another could be a mono ribbon mic for a nice, warm tone.
Rosette Fingerstyle has just that, plus a direct-in channel, all of which can be mixed independently.
Let's compare the sound of the stereo KM184 mic position with the mono U87 mic.
Rosette Fingerstyle - KM184 Stereo
Rosette Fingerstyle - U87 Mono
Just as with pickup positions in electric guitars, the more mic positions you can use for your virtual acoustic guitar, the more flexible that instrument will be.
Writing & Performing
Having realistic articulations, dynamics, and RRs is great, but using them is a different story. How difficult is it to switch techniques?
Is the virtual instrument (whether it's a sample library or native VST/AU) made more for writing in a DAW piano roll, or live performance using a MIDI controller?
Each developer has their own philosophy on this. One approach is to offer a huge range of articulations on separate keyswitches, which are MIDI notes that don't make sound, but instead 'switch' what technique is used.
Pictured above is the keyswitch layout for Prominy SC Electric Guitar 2. As you can see, the instrument includes many articulations that go beyond sustains, palm mutes, and harmonics to include intervals, trills, chords, and various bends.
This type of approach is not well-suited for live performance as it requires a lot of memorization, however if you are able to wrap your head around it, the results can be spectacular.
With the Shreddage 3 series, we use a blend of keyswitches plus velocity-switching, while also giving the user to create any mapping of their choice. What does this mean?
With velocity-switching, the velocity of the note may change what articulation is played. In the below screenshot, you'll see how the Sustain articulation is played from velocity 1-119, then rakes are triggered at 120-126, and finally pinch squeals at 127.
This makes live playing a bit more seamless and easy to do. But this mapping isn't set in stone. With our custom "Total Articulation Control Technology" (TACT), any articulation can be reconfigured (and then saved) however you'd like.
Many people prefer to have palm mutes on low velocities and sustains on higher velocities, and the same for powerchord mutes and sustains. This is easily possible in instruments like Shreddage 3 Hydra.
In this screenshot, you'll see how Sustains and Mutes now share the same keyswitch, as does Power Chord Sustain & Power Chord Mute, by adjusting the mapping rule at the bottom.
Since the goal of using a virtual guitar (or guitar VST) is to create realistic-sounding tracks, it should not take a great deal of time to sequence or perform those parts.
Otherwise, wouldn't it be easier to hire a real player? 😉
That's one reason why we've recorded video tutorials to show how you can use virtual guitars and posted them on our YouTube channel.
This tutorial below shows how ISW co-founder Andrew Aversa records & edits a virtual guitar solo with Shreddage 3 Hydra using a combination of live performance and some MIDI editing.
Be cautious about purchasing virtual guitars (or any virtual instruments) without seeing such real-time examples, as demos can sometimes make them seem easy to use, when in reality they require a lot of tedious editing.
Onboard Effects (FX)
Although most DAWs now come with a wide range of effects plugins, having the option to use built-in or onboard FX in your virtual guitar is a nice bonus for a few reasons.
First, you won't have to go back and forth between the guitar UI and another plugin. And second, it allows the developer to include ready-made presets that use FX.
It's recommended to use presets as a starting point for your music production, but to adjust the tone or FX chain of the guitar as needed. An amp & cabinet combo preset might work great for a song in one genre, but not at all in another genre.
The Shreddage 3 series uses Impact Soundworks' Console tab, which puts at your disposal a minimum of two channels of insert FX, of which there are over 40 modules to choose from.
These include analog and digitally-modeled EQs, compressors, chorus, phasers, flangers, various reverbs, stompboxes, delays, amps, and cabinets.
Do you absolutely need built-in FX with your virtual guitar? No. The very best amp simulations can be found only as native plugins (VST, AU, AAX, etc. formats). The same goes for the best equalizers, compressors, and reverbs.
Nevertheless, if you're just starting out and have only a limited selection of plugins, picking a virtual guitar with onboard FX will still save you some hassle!
Chords, Strumming, and Patterns
If you're not a guitarist, the idea of writing out guitar chord voicings might seem a little intimidating, especially since guitar tablature looks very different from regular sheet music.
But with a high-quality guitar virtual instrument, you shouldn't need to ever worry about that!
Writing chords in a virtual guitar should be as simple as recording (or writing) the notes you want, and then selecting the neck/hand position. 
Some virtual guitars give users the option of selecting specific strings to place a note on. The Amplesound series (pictured) has a complex interface for this.
Our Shreddage 3 series supports similar functionality with a "Force String" knob and corresponding keyswitches.
You can also use our instruments in "MIDI Guitar Mode" which allows you to assign 1 MIDI channel per string.
Nonetheless, we view these as advanced features for power users. The vast majority of people don't need to use them, as its easier & more practical to write the notes you want with the general hand position, and let the engine figure it out.
Being able to program rhythms or strumming patterns is a different matter. Some users value the ability to pull up a predefined pattern and let the virtual guitar play it, with the ability to change chords or notes at will.
You might also call this a built-in "Strummer" or "Pattern Sequencer".
Having a pattern sequencer built-in to your virtual instrument is a bit of a double-edged sword. It can certainly be convenient, but the sequencer alone will have its own UI and learning curve.
For example, Musiclab's selection of virtual guitars has a very powerful - albeit complicated - interface allowing you to load, edit, and save a variety of strummed or arpeggiated chord progressions. You can see this UI below.
Whether you find this feature useful or extraneous, simple or cumbersome, really depends on your personal preference. Consider why you're purchasing a virtual guitar.
If you want to write a mix of chugging, non-strummed rhythms and guitar solos, there's no need for a complex pattern sequencer.
If you only want to use a variety of strummed rhythm patterns, think about whether a virtual guitar is what you actually need. There are other virtual instruments focusing solely on strummed patterns and progressions, such as our Strum Designer.
A middle ground is the ability to easily strum a held chord, but write your own rhythm simply with MIDI notes, rather than needing to painstakingly set up your rhythm & progression of choice using yet another user interface.
This is what we chose to do for Shreddage 3 & the Rosette series: there are dedicated Strum Keys which will play a full or partial down or up strum when pressed. In the screenshot below, you can see a held chord on the fretboard.
On the colored MIDI keyboard, you'll see the main range colored blue, with the strum keys to the right (high up).
There are also Pick String Keys which simply re-pick one currently-held string.
Shreddage 3 & Rosette also feature Pick String Keys which simply re-pick one currently-held string, and can be used for beautiful chord picking or arpeggiated chords.
While this feature doesn't come with any pre-defined patterns or rhythms, for many musician, the idea of holding a chord with their left hand and then using their right hand to play a rhythm is intuitive.
You can see this chord picking in action here, compared with basic sequencing in the piano roll or simply playing the part in 100% live.
Conclusion
If you've made it this far, you should have a very good idea of what features are important in your first (or next) virtual guitar purchase. From a content perspective, you should look for:
- A healthy number of articulations
- Up & down picking with multiple RR, ideally up to 8 for palm mutes
- Multiple levels of palm muting
- Multiple dynamics
- Two or more pickup positions or mic positions
- Every fret/string sampled
When it comes to features, you'll want to think about:
- Whether the instrument is geared toward live playing, writing, or both
- Complexity of switching articulations
- Flexibility of changing settings or mapping to your taste
- The type of strumming or rhythm engine
- Onboard FX (not essential, though!)
And in terms of which guitar the library features...
- The number of strings (more strings = more metal)
- Whether the guitar model is popular among artists of the genre
- The common tone of that guitar and whether you like it or not
After considering the above, think about your budget. Some of the most fully-featured, complex, but powerful virtual guitars are also the most expensive, at up to $400 MSRP. The typical average price is closer to about $150.
Keep in mind the ecosystem you're entering. Most virtual guitar developers have more than one model. Will you get crossgrades or a 'complete my bundle'-type deal when getting more guitars from the same developer? (This is something we offer to ISW customers!)
Ultimately, remember that the technology we use at our computers should serve our music and inspire us, and that the human touch - writing the music - is the most important thing!