The Best Guitar YouTube Channels Worth Watching Right Now
YouTube has become the single greatest resource in the history of guitar education, gear exploration, and pure inspiration. Forget flipping through a magazine or waiting for your local music store to stock something interesting — today you can watch a side-by-side comparison of a ’59 Les Paul and a modern R9 reissue, learn a Guthrie Govan lick broken down note by note, or watch someone demo every Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster in existence, all before lunch.
But with thousands of guitar channels out there, the signal-to-noise ratio can be brutal. So we’ve done the digging for you. These are the channels that consistently deliver real value — whether that’s honest gear reviews, deep technique breakdowns, or the kind of playing that makes you pick up your guitar the second the video ends. For more, see our Guitar Technique Guide. For more, see our Guitar Scales and Modes. For more, see our Complete History of Rock Music.
Best Channels for Gear Junkies
That Pedal Show
If you have any interest in effects pedals — and let’s be honest, you probably do — That Pedal Show with Mick Taylor and Dan Steinhardt is required viewing. These two guys bring a level of enthusiasm and genuine knowledge that’s almost absurd. What makes the channel stand out is how they actually play through everything rather than just tweaking knobs and nodding.
A typical episode might spend 90 minutes exploring how a Strymon Timeline interacts with a Dumble-style amp, or walking through the difference between germanium and silicon fuzz circuits using real musical examples. They talk about how pedal placement in your chain affects tone, why buffer placement matters, and what happens when you run your reverb before your drive instead of after. It’s the kind of granular, musical thinking that transforms a pedalboard from a collection of boxes into an actual instrument.
Their episodes on building signal chains from scratch are particularly valuable for players who feel overwhelmed by gear options. They’re not chasing hype — they’re chasing sound.
Rhett Shull
Rhett Shull occupies a unique space. He’s a working Nashville guitarist who actually uses this gear on gigs and sessions, and that real-world context bleeds into everything he makes. His reviews aren’t theoretical — when he talks about how a Collings 290 plays on a three-hour country gig, he’s speaking from experience.
His tone demo videos are some of the most musically coherent on the platform. Rather than running through every knob position in isolation, he plays actual music and lets you hear how a guitar or amp responds in a real context. His video on the differences between various P-90 pickups — comparing the raw bark of a vintage-style dog-ear against the slightly smoother sound of a soapbar in a humbucker-routed guitar — is a masterclass in listening critically.
Rhett also does some genuinely excellent content on the business and mindset side of being a professional guitarist, which sets him apart from purely gear-focused channels.
Phillip McKnight
Phillip McKnight is refreshingly no-nonsense. He’s the guy who will tell you that a $300 guitar plays better than the $1,500 guitar everyone’s raving about this week, and back it up with specific reasons. His channel covers gear myths, honest reviews, and a recurring format called “Know Your Gear” that breaks down guitar specifications in ways that actually matter to players.
His willingness to call out hype — whether it’s inflated boutique pricing, overhyped limited runs, or gear that looks great on camera but feels terrible in your hands — makes him a trustworthy voice in a space that can sometimes feel like one long advertisement.
Best Channels for Learning Guitar
Paul Davids
Paul Davids is genuinely one of the best guitar educators on the internet, full stop. The Dutch guitarist brings an incredible combination of technical precision and musical taste to every lesson, and his production quality makes watching feel like a masterclass rather than a tutorial.
His series on chord embellishments — adding color tones, passing notes, and voice leading to basic chord shapes — will immediately change how you hear and play rhythm guitar. His technique is immaculate, and he plays through everything cleanly enough that you can actually see and hear what he’s doing. When he demonstrates the difference between playing a barre chord mechanically versus shaping the voicing around the melody, the lightbulb moment is almost instant.
Paul’s original music videos are worth watching on their own merits too. The guy can genuinely play, which lends credibility to every lesson he posts.
Signals Music Studio
Jake Lizzio at Signals Music Studio takes music theory and makes it feel like the most exciting thing in the world. His explanations of modes, chord scales, and harmonic concepts are the clearest on YouTube, and he has a gift for connecting abstract theory to the actual fretboard in ways that make immediate, practical sense.
His video on how to actually use modes — not just what they are, but how to create the characteristic sound of Dorian versus Mixolydian in a real musical context — is something every intermediate guitarist should watch. He also does excellent deep dives into specific songs and solos, analyzing what makes them work harmonically and melodically.
If you’ve ever felt like music theory was a foreign language, spend a few hours with Signals Music Studio and that will change.
Brett Papa (BrettsGuitar)
Brett Papa’s channel is a goldmine for players who want to learn specific songs and solos accurately. His breakdowns are patient, well-paced, and actually correct — which sounds like a low bar, but you’d be surprised how many tutorial channels teach wrong notes with complete confidence. Brett slows things down, isolates the hard parts, and explains the technique behind the lick, not just the tab.
His lessons on classic rock and blues solos are particularly strong. His breakdown of the tone, bending technique, and phrasing behind a Stevie Ray Vaughan lick doesn’t just teach you the notes — it teaches you how to make the notes sound right.
Best Channels for Inspiration and Pure Playing
Yvette Young
Watching Yvette Young play guitar is a genuinely humbling experience. Her approach blends tapping, unconventional chord voicings, fingerpicking, and a harmonic vocabulary that draws from classical music, math rock, and dream pop in equal measure. Her band Covet produces some of the most interesting guitar music being made right now, and her YouTube channel gives you a front-row seat to her process.
What makes her channel especially valuable is how openly she discusses her approach to composition and tone. She’s talked extensively about using clean tones through a Fender amp and letting the guitar’s natural voice carry the music rather than hiding behind effects — which is an interesting counterpoint to the pedalboard-obsessed side of guitar YouTube.
Even if her style isn’t what you play, watching Yvette Young will expand your sense of what the guitar is capable of.
Mateus Asato
Mateus Asato posts infrequently, but every video is a complete event. The Brazilian guitarist has one of the most expressive, vocal approaches to the instrument you’ll find anywhere on the internet. His tone — typically a Telecaster through a clean Dumble or Two-Rock style amp with tasteful reverb — is warm, round, and singing in a way that makes single notes feel like complete sentences.
His playing is deeply rooted in R&B and soul, and he has an uncanny ability to make the guitar sound like a human voice. Watching him work through a melody is a lesson in phrasing, vibrato, and the kind of emotional restraint that’s actually harder to achieve than technical flash.
Tim Pierce
Tim Pierce is a Los Angeles session legend who has played on more hit records than most people have heard. His YouTube channel pulls back the curtain on the world of professional session guitar, and the perspective he brings is completely unlike anything else on the platform.
His videos on how to play tastefully in a band context, how to support a vocalist without stepping on the melody, and how to adapt your playing to serve the song rather than showcase your technique are invaluable for anyone who wants to play music with other people at a high level. He’s a walking encyclopedia of tones, having played everything from bright Tele twang to thick Les Paul rhythm parts on major label recordings, and he shares that knowledge generously.
Best Channel for Guitar Repair and Maintenance
StewMac (stewmac)
StewMac’s YouTube channel is the definitive resource for guitar setup, repair, and building. Whether you need to learn how to properly intonate a Gibson Tune-O-Matic, understand why your fret ends feel sharp in dry weather, or tackle a full fret level and crown, StewMac’s team of luthiers walks you through the process with clarity and precision.
Their videos on truss rod adjustment, nut slot filing, and pickup height are particularly useful for players who want to handle their own setup work. Understanding why your action feels wrong — whether it’s neck relief, saddle height, or nut slots cut too high — is the kind of knowledge that pays dividends every time you pick up a guitar.
A Few Honorable Mentions
- The Tone King (Marc Senasac) — Exceptional amp demos with a deep knowledge of vintage circuits and the way different tubes and output transformers affect feel and response.
- Guitarist Magazine — The YouTube arm of the long-running UK publication, with excellent artist interviews and gear features.
- Adam Neely — Primarily a bassist, but his music theory and musicology content is essential for any serious guitarist who wants to understand how music works at a deeper level.
- JustinGuitar — Still the best free beginner guitar resource on the internet. Justin Sandercoe’s structured, encouraging approach has genuinely taught millions of people to play guitar.
How to Get the Most Out of Guitar YouTube
The trap with guitar YouTube — and gear content in general — is passive consumption. It’s incredibly easy to spend three hours watching pedal demos and amp comparisons and come away feeling like you’ve accomplished something without ever picking up your guitar. The channels that actually make you better are the ones that send you running to your instrument to try something.
Use these channels as fuel, not entertainment. Watch a Paul Davids lesson and immediately try the concept on your own guitar. Watch a That Pedal Show episode and actually listen to how your own chain sounds with fresh ears afterward. Watch Mateus Asato and then spend twenty minutes trying to make one single note sound as expressive as possible.
The best guitar YouTube channels don’t just inform you — they inspire you to play. And at the end of the day, that’s the whole point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best YouTube channels for learning guitar as a beginner?
For beginners, channels like JustinGuitar and Marty Music consistently rank as top choices. Justin Sandercoe’s structured lesson progression is especially beginner-friendly, while Marty’s relaxed teaching style makes songs approachable fast. Both are free, regularly updated, and cover a wide range of styles and skill levels.
Are there good guitar YouTube channels for intermediate and advanced players?
Yes — channels like Paul Davids, Signals Music Studio, and Adam Neely push well beyond beginner content. They cover music theory, advanced technique, and deep dives into professional playing concepts. These channels are ideal if you’ve outgrown basic lessons and want genuinely challenging, intellectually stimulating guitar content.
Which guitar YouTube channels are best for learning specific genres like blues, metal, or jazz?
Genre-specific channels exist for almost every style. Jens Larsen is widely respected for jazz guitar, while Uncle Ben’s Treehouse covers blues deeply. For metal technique, channels like Ben Eller focus on efficiency and shred mechanics. Searching your genre alongside “guitar lessons YouTube” will surface dedicated, specialist creators worth following.
How do I know if a guitar YouTube channel is actually worth following?
Look beyond subscriber counts. Check whether lessons are well-structured, the instructor explains the “why” not just the “what,” and content gets updated regularly. Channels that cover theory alongside technique tend to make you a better overall player. Reading comments also reveals whether students are actually improving from the lessons.
Are there guitar YouTube channels that focus on gear and tone rather than lessons?
Absolutely. Rhett Shull and That Pedal Show are strong picks for gear-focused content, covering amp tones, pedal chains, and real-world gigging setups without excessive hype. Phillip McKnight is good for honest, no-nonsense gear takes. These channels complement lesson-based learning by helping you understand how to shape your actual sound.