Here’s something I don’t like to admit: I’m a terrible guitarist. Sure, I know the chords and scales and such, and I strum something out, but it can get messier than a famous drag queen disparaging transgender women. Thus, I was left wondering what a terrible guitarist can do when they want to get their tracks down, but don’t have small fortune to spend on session guitarists.

I scavenged the underworld (aka the Internet) for solutions, focusing on getting a utility for a strumming guitar. Clearly, I wasn’t the only person with this problem as I found an overwhelming amount of options. As is typically the case, the best options were paid VSTs. However there are some free options available.

Just did a non-strum rhythm track on the RealLPC and was able to get all the nuances I was after. Hand problems have made recording rhythm parts with a real guitar very tedious, especially on acoustic. I still do the solos on a real electric guitar but having the MusicLab virtual guitars is a great help for basic parts. Studio Devil British Valve Custom is a FREE guitar amp modeling and audio effects plug-in for use with VST, AudioUnits, and ProTools RTAS compatible hosts running on both Mac and Windows platforms.

FREE STRUMMING GUITAR VSTs:

Below I include two different types of VST strummers. Some of you are looking for a control engine, some of you are probably looking for a stand alone sampler. The options are below.

Strummer, by Mildon.

I found this option to be a bit difficult to customize the sounds I wanted, but when you’re on a budget, it will do in a pinch. You’re not going to be able to customize this to pluck a single string, but it works well if you’re just fiddling with sounds, and have a VSTi you like. This is one of the least customizable solutions and doesn’t use its own samples.

A nice thing about it compared to other free and paid options is that you can use whatever sample or VSTi you already have. It was fun to experiment with non-guitar samples using this, but I would avoid it if you have a particular sound/pattern in mind as it’s a bit hard to dial it in just right.

Ample Sound Guitar M Lite (AGML).

This is a beautifully sampled instrument. There was a bit of a learning curve on this, but once I figured it out I was amazed at what I could accomplish. This is the light version of the paid product, which takes away a few options, but is still a very capable instrument. There are several free instruments available through Ample, including a bass guitar, all of which have been a huge help to me in creating guitar sounds.

One thing I really appreciate with this instrument is that you can see the strings and frets as you are playing, creating a bit of a “learn more about the guitar” feeling. I put together a track with this and sent it to a talented guitarist friend with the question, “How does this sound?” Her response was, “Who’s playing the guitar?” It convinced her, but we both could tell the guitar was too perfect. There are settings that can help create a more convincing sound, though.

I can’t recommend this enough for the price – free. A comparison chart of the free and paid version is below under the full version of AGM.

PAID STRUMMING GUITAR VSTs:

Komplete Native Instruments Session Guitarist, Strummed Acoustic 2. ($99.00 USD)

I’m going to be honest here. I bought this instrument from Komplete Native Instruments and never got to use it. The problem was with the installation process. My studio is in a rural environment with limited internet, and this thing is huge. For most large files, I download them off-sight and take them into the studio on a flash drive to install. Unfortunately, this one requires you download their manager software onto the computer you will use the instrument on, then download the install file. You also have to download Komplete Player.

That’s a lot of downloading when you have poor internet access. I’m including it here because I spent a lot of time before buying it watching videos and it sounds great and seems to work like some of the other options. Plus, their support team was amazing to work with. They provided me with an installation work-around (which was overly complex for my sometimes tech-challenged self. When I couldn’t get that to work, they refunded my money. Kudos to a company for providing that support.

If you do have good internet access, no price limitations, and don’t mind all the extra stuff on your system (or already use Kontakt), you may as well give it a go.

Ample Sound Guitar MII (Not Lite, Paid, &169.00 USD).

See the information above for the AGML version, which is the free version of this instrument. Of all of them I tried, I love the Ample guitars most. The sound is great and I love the simplicity of setting up your patterns for the song (midi piano roll style) and using a midi keyboard to trigger the patterns (and chord changes). You can customize those patterns all the way down to single strings and you can trigger multiple chord voicings. The paid version provides additional features over the free version per the chart below:

I haven’t truly figured out why the chart says you only have a Finger option in the free version. I successfully “strummed” the free version. It’s likely because you can select pick or finger strum, but I stopped trying to decipher the exact meaning of this. Even with only 866 samples, the free version sounded a million times better than the AAS Strum GS-2 (below).

Applied Acoustic AAS Strum GS-2. ($199.00 USD).

If you’re going for a 90’s sampled guitar sound, this is the instrument for you. Really, it sounds like crap. Now, if you spend a lot of time with effects and don’t care that your acoustic guitar sounds more like a synth, you can almost get a real enough sound to fool a few people if your guitar is way back in your mix. Seriously, I hated the sound of this so much I spent exactly 30 seconds on it before concluding it was a big no. I’m hoping someone will correct me and I’ll learn I’m just ignorant and this is a great tool.

Readelay is a free delay plugin that comes as part of the ReaPlugs VST FX Suite. Don’t worry, this collection of plugins can be used in any DAW (not just Reaper), but Readelay must be downloaded with the entire suite. The plugin is very versatile, and contains a lot of creative possibilities within the various delay parameters. UltraTap is a unique multi-tap effect capable of rhythmic delays, glitchy reverbs, huge pad-like volume swells and extraordinary modulation. It’s the perfect tool for creating drum fills, vocal choruses, swelling guitar chords and other evolving effects — everything from reversed reverbs to a massed church choir singing a Gregorian chant in Notre-Dame Cathedral! https://everpath.amebaownd.com/posts/17873412. Featuring variable multi-tap delay with sweeping sound-shaping controls, this plugin opens the door to endless effects possibilities. From creating anything from simple to profound rhythmic multi-effects, nothing is too far to call.

Pettinhouse Free Electric GuitarsJust as Pettinhouseoffers a few great acoustic guitar libraries, it has also released a fewinteresting electric guitars: FreeDirectGuitarFormat: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)Audio examples:The following examples were created with DirectGuitar and Guitar Rig 5:Using this direct guitar library by Pettinhouse gives you maximum flexibility for sculpting your own tone. Get here (you will need to get a free account to download the instrument). Free electric guitar sound vst.

MusicLab Real Guitar V. ($199.00 USD)

This instrument would be my second choice in the lineup so far. It’s 2nd to Amples AGM/AGML only because of the price. Sound wise, they are very close in realism. Both involve a learning curve, but once you understand one the other comes pretty quickly as they are played similarly. I do like that the Real Guitar combines a Classic and Steel String Guitar (you choose), essentially giving you a second instrument not provided by Ample. If price isn’t a huge factor for you, then MusicLab’s Real Guitar V is a great option.

Free Guitar Strumming Vst Plugin

Orange Tree Samples, Evolution Songwriter ($179.00 USD).

Orange Tree Samples has some of the most beautifully sampled instruments out there, imho, and this instrument is no different. The samples are… well… amazing. The problem is, it’s runs in Kontakt. I generally try to avoid these (like