DSK Guitars Nylon is a free vst instrument that based on Acoustic Guitars samples. Features: - High expressive and dynamics sounds - Clean and very simply GUI 1: 2. Free KONTAKT PLAYER version 6.1 and higher, or KONTAKT version 6.1 and higher Sound category: Six-string acoustic guitar Number of sounds: 194 patterns, 37 songs Download size: 8.4 GB System requirements: Free KONTAKT PLAYER or KONTAKT (Version 6.1 or higher). VST 4 FREE - Free Audio Plug-ins and Archives. Free VST downloads: FabBass (Hofner violin bass by Samsara Cycle Audio) - Digital Nylon (Nylon guitar by TED) - Classic.Gtr (Spanish guitar by Quiet Music) - SuperRiff Bass (Bass guitar by SuperRiff) - Electrik GuitarZ (Electric guitar by DSK) - Strummer (Guitar strummer by Mildon) - SuperRiff.
If you’ve been producing music for a while, you probably know that a lot of the commercial guitar VSTs or libraries out there are pretty expensive and not always easy to use. Although I own a few commercial guitar libraries, I also wanted to see what free guitar VSTs and sample libraries are available these days. I have to admit I was surprised by the number of interesting instruments I found. So, I’ve put together this list to talk about the best ones.
For this article, I looked at both acoustic and electric guitars but left out guitar amps and other effect plugins (I will cover these in an upcoming article).
Free Acoustic Guitar Plugins
Ample Sound: Ample Guitar M II Lite
Format: AU, VST, AAX, RTAS / 32 bit + 62 bit
OS: Mac, Windows
Audio examples:
Ample Sound is a Beijing-based company that has been creating guitar and bass VSTs since 2011. The Ample Guitar M II series aims “to bring the Martin D-41 Acoustic Guitar sound to your studio.” Luckily for us, the company also released a free lite version of the instrument, which comes with a reduced sample rate, fewer articulations and features and a lower sample count than the original (by now, version III has been released already).
This doesn’t prevent Ample Guitar M II Lite from being the best sounding (non-Kontakt) acoustic guitar in this list, though. The samples sound full and lively and can be triggered directly through MIDI (or your DAW) as well as through a built-in sequencer, the “strummer.”
The strummer makes it super easy to build patterns out of single notes, up and down strokes and mutes. Additionally, there are a bunch of effects and features available to change the tone. One of my favorite features is the doubling switch, which adds width to the instrument in an instant.
Another particular useful feature of Ample Guitar M II Lite is that it shows you which string corresponds to the note you’re playing. This quickly helped me create more realistic arpeggios.
If you also use Guitar Pro Tab, you can even import your tabs into Ample Guitar M II Lite. Note that you are limited to the first four frets of each string when you’re using the lite version.
There are so many fully functioning knobs and switches in this free plugin that I didn’t manage to get to all of them in my 45 minutes of playing around with it. What more can you ask for in a free guitar?
You can get Ample Guitar M II Lite on the Ample Sound website.
This is a quick introduction to the instrument:
DSK Music: Dynamic Guitars
Format: AU, VST / 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Mac, Windows
Audio examples:
This guitar VST has gotten a lot of attention lately, especially since the release of LifeStyleDidIt’s video “I FOUND THE BEST FREE GUITAR VST” (see below). DSK Music is a project by a Spaniard named Víctor who has been making hundreds of free virtual instruments since 2002.
DynamicGuitars contains three different instruments: an acoustic guitar, a nylonguitar and a steel guitar. It also offers control over the envelope of thesamples as well as the dynamic range and the voice mode (poly, mono, legato). All the included guitars feel smooth, warm andthick but could use a little EQ action for clarity.
In this video, you can see the plugin in use:
You can download DSK Dynamic Guitars here.
Pettinhouse Free Acoustic Guitars
Pettinhouse is a project by Andrea Pettinao. The company sells a wide variety of guitars and also offers a handful of free guitar sample libraries. Let’s take a look at them!
FreeAcousticGuitar
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Free AcousticGuitar is a simple but well-recorded and programmed acoustic guitar Kontakt library. The samples are loaded as a multi and are separated into attack+ sustain, releases and fret noise sounds and come in different velocities. The samples are well mixed and sound wonderfully natural.
FreeClassicGuitar
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
When you open the free version of Pettinhouse’s Classic Guitar, you’re getting a multi consisting of two instruments: classic guitar and noises. These work well together and offer a realistic and nice warm sound.
Yummy Beats: Modest Guitar
Format: Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Yummy Beats is a platform for drums, loops and Kontakt instruments. You can also find a few free instruments on this site, including the free Modest Guitar. This Kontakt library delivers a present sound with round robin and three articulations: acoustic guitar, flageolets and fx guitar. Unfortunately, I found that the fx guitar produced noticeable crackle sounds (might have been my setup!). However, my favorite part is the flageolets with their well-rounded tone, anyway.
I found the steps to get Modest Guitar a little complicated. You have to open a Yummy Beats account, go to this page and enter the unlock code that you find here. If you’re looking for a free, quality flageolet sound, this is a good instrument to try out, though.
Here’s an example of a song that uses Modest Guitar (from the Yummy Beats YouTube channel):
Alternatives
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Here are some more acoustic guitar libraries:
- DSK AkoustiK GuitarZ (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- DSK Guitars Nylon (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- DSK Guitars Acoustic (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- DSK Guitars Steel (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- Spicy Guitar (VST / Standalone / Windows, Mac / 32 bit + 64 bit)
- Big Cat Instruments General Midi Soundset (has a guitar section / Kontakt)
Free Electric Guitar Plugins
Now, let’s talk about electric guitars.
Spitfire Labs: Peel Guitar
Format: VST2, VST3, AAX, AU; 32 bit + 64 bi t
OS: Windows, Mac
Audio examples:
Looking for a smooth moody guitar that fits into an ambient track or your next film score? Peel Guitar might be it! Originally, the guitar was sampled by Christian Henson in 2006 and, according to him, was used all over his scores. The instrument consists of three presets that differ slightly in guitar tone. Each guitar feels soft and comes with a long release, which adds to the atmosphere of the instrument. The minimalist interface offers control over the volume, velocity, reverb and “tightness” of the sound. To get Peel Guitar, you will need to install Spitfire Labs first (also free).
Best Free Acoustic Guitar Vst
Iridium Iris: Lethality
Format: VST, 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Windows
Audio examples:
The following examples were created with Lethality and Guitar Rig 5:
Lethality was released in 2014 by Iridium Iris. The developer’s website has been down for a while, so it’s not clear if they’re still working on new instruments. However, Lethality is one of their products that you can still come across today.
I wasactually quite surprised to see how many functions are built into Lethality.Besides “regular” single notes, the plugin also has open string and mutedstring articulations. Additionally, you can switch on hammer-ons, pull-offs andportamento articulations, which can be triggered by playing legato notes.
To find theright articulation on your MIDI keyboard, you can take a look in the manualthat comes with the instrument. When you’re as used to Kontakt as I am, it’s alittle inconvenient that the keyboard layout (including articulation zones andkeyswitches) is not displayed visually in the plugin. This means that you’llhave to remember the keyswitches and articulations you’ll need when playing.
If you’renot sure how to program your guitar, you can use the built-in riff patterns.They can be activated directly from the plugin or exported as MIDI clips intoyour DAW of choice. Truthfully, though, it makes more sense to program your ownMIDI clips, if only to create a more dynamic guitar part.
Although Lethality offers a distortion function, to get a good sound you will most likely want to use an external amp simulation or other effects on this instrument.
As the official developer website is down, you can get Lethality here.
Impact Soundworks Shreddage Stratus Free
Format: Kontakt 5.7 or higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
The Shreddage series by Impact Soundworks has been the go-to place for affordable guitar sample libraries for years. Recently, the company made a very generous gift to composers when it released a free version of its Shreddage 3 Stratus guitar. Compared to the commercial version, the free version only offers neck pickup (instead of neck, middle and bridge), 12 frets (instead of 24), a reduced range and fewer articulations. However, this shouldn’t stop you from creating great, realistic electric guitar parts with this library. Up to 24 samples per note, including sustain, palm mute and choke articulations make this an amazingly usable library that will fit into many productions.
Amazingly,the free version of Shreddage 3 Stratus also comes with full mix consolefunctionality. In the mix console you can add effects, whether that’s pedals,amps, cabinets or EQ. The included presets (called “snapshots” by ImpactSoundworks) sound instantly great and are compatible with other Shreddageinstruments (as long as they use the same console). This is definitely the bestand most versatile free electric guitar on the market right now – so if youhave a full version of Kontakt, don’t miss out on this one.
Check outthe following video for an overview on how to use Stratus Free:
Get Impact Soundworks Stratus Free here (you will need to get a free account to download the instrument).
Pettinhouse Free Electric Guitars
Just as Pettinhouseoffers a few great acoustic guitar libraries, it has also released a fewinteresting electric guitars:
FreeDirectGuitar
Format: 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. It comes with a range of four octaves and also includes a few effects (open the “strum” and “layers” instruments to find out where they are located on the keyboard). Amp and effects are not part of the instrument, so you will need to add one yourself. I used Guitar Rig 5 for the audio examples.
FreeMute&Slap
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Mute&Slap is a very specialized instrument: The articulations range from mute tones in the lower velocities to slap notes in the higher velocities and are great for adding some funky notes to your beats and songs. While Free Mute&Slap also contains a couple of effects and amp choices, it might be worthwhile trying out a few different amp simulations with this to have more control over the tone.
Here’s avideo review for Mute&Slap:
FreeFunkyGuitar
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
Need more funk in your music? Check out Pettinhouse’s Free FunkyGuitar. Besides regular plucked string sounds, this library also contains strum loops and muted strum loops. These are especially convenient (programming funk guitar rhythms manually is hell) and can be tempo-synced to the host or adjusted manually (in a range of 85 bpm – 130 bpm). The library comes with a built-in reverb, delay and phaser and a selection of amps. The guide tab will help you find your way around this instrument quickly.
FreeWarmJazz
Format: Kontakt 3 and higher (full version required!)
Audio examples:
When I was researching for this article and came across WarmJazz, a realization hit me: There are barely any jazz guitar sample libraries on the market. Apart from the occasional funk library, most current guitar libraries and VSTs are oriented towards rock, metal and blues. If you’re looking for a jazzier sound, though, you should check out WarmJazz by Pettinhouse. In its free version, it comes with seven presets and a range of effects (chorus, reverb, delay, compressor). The quality of the sound is indeed warm and jazzy and hard to re-create with any other library.
KaroryferSamples Cute Emily Guitar
Format: SFZ, Kontakt 5 and higher (full version required!)
The next three examples use Guitar Rig 5:
Cute Emily Guitar is originally a project by Karoryfer Samples and was first published in 2014. To quote the creator:
“There area lot of guitar samples out there intended for lots of styles of musicguitarists like, from Latin jazz to metalcore, but this library is for musicguitarists really hate, from hip-hop to EDM. It’s designed to be easy to usefor producers who don’t necessarily know a lot about guitars and don’t need awhole lot of different articulations, control over left-hand position, note offgroups, etc. Instead of all that you get a fat, percussive sound that’s greatfor crisp rhythms.”
Indeed, the instrument, which is a sampled Epiphone Emily the Strange, has a very pronounced, percussive attack. As the samples were recorded directly, it makes sense to run them through an amp simulator of some sort (I used Guitar Rig 5 for my tests).
You have the choice between two versions of this instrument: The original Karoryfer Samples version in SFZ soundfont format or a Kontakt version by Bigcat Instruments. The Kontakt version includes various effects, such as a phaser, chorus, reverb, delay, compressor, distortion and EQ. You can also add tremolo and adjust the velocity curve, as well as the attack and release.
Alternatives
Looking formore options? Check out the following instruments:
- Greggjazz Suburban Guitarist (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- Krakli Strat-A-Various (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
- SuperRiff: SuperRiff Guitar (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
Over to you…
Do you have any other favorites that you didn’t see included on this page? Let us know in the comments!
Disclosure: When you buy through our links, we may get a commission at zero cost to you.
An acoustic guitar is one of a member of the guitar family, it differs from an electronic guitar that uses an electronic amplification system, so, in the real world, an acoustic doesn’t rely on electronic amplification.
If you don’t want to go over the hassle of learning to play a guitar, tunning, adding effects, and setting up a good studio recording room, then you can opt-in for a virtual acoustic guitar that has been designed to work close to a professional guitar.
Before I recommend you to some of the best virtual acoustic guitars, here are some reasons you should use one…
- You don’t have access to a professional acoustic guitar
- Want to quickly lay down a track without the hassle of setting up a studio recording session, finding the perfect angle, and tuning a guitar.
- You have a guitar but want to use it as MIDI-Controlled guitar for electronic manipulation.
That said, let us look at the best virtual acoustic guitar VST instrument plugin in the music production scene.
Starting with…
1.) Virtual Guitar Amber ($129.00)
First on our list is Virtual Guitarist Amber by Ujam. Amber features a vastly expanded realism guitar library, easy to use, intuitive, and built for musicians of all levels.
Practically, when setting up a real acoustic guitar for recording, you would want to make sure your mics are properly positioned, your guitar is properly tuned, and you are recording in a good studio recording room, I guess you can imagine how complex that would be if you are just getting started, with Amber, all you need is a laptop, your Daw, and to be creative. It is designed to produce a realistic great acoustic guitar sounds without distracting you from the complexity of setting up a real guitar.
The way Amber works is using patterns and styles, You press a key on the keyboard or a piano-roll, and then Amber play strum chords in designated phrases combined into styles & determined by the notes you play.
With over 600 phrases & 50+ styles, you can experiment and unleash the power of various playing styles and rhythmic sounds.
So, if you aren’t capable of owning a professional guitar, or you can’t record a live acoustic guitar professionally, then Amber is what you need. Keep in mind though, Amber is mostly based on strum chords.
Video Sneak Peek
Key Features
- Steel-string acoustic guitar strumming
- More than 50 Styles and 600 Phrases
- From full-bodied warm to metallic-sparkling bright
- Select or mix between a microphone and pick-up signal
System Requirements
- Windows 7 or higher, Mac OS X 10.9 or higher
- VST/AU/AAX/NKS
- Minimum requirements of 4 GB of RAM, 6 GB of Disk Space and 1280×768 px Display
2.) Ample Guitar M III ($169.00)
Ample Guitar M III is an acoustic guitar by Amplesound and a model of Martin D-41 acoustic guitar, which is where the M comes from. It features an astonishing library of more than 3800 sound samples in 24-bit / 44.1kHz.
Unlike Amber that is mostly based on Strum Chords, Ample Guitar M III includes complete strum samples for each chord and every music style, which can either be played by fingers or picking. What makes this guitar stood apart from other virtual guitar is the way you can control the resonance sound, Legato Slide, Slide in & out, Palm Mute, Pop, Natural Harmonic, and many more you won’t think of.
Another super interesting feature of Ample Guitar M is the Random Riff Generator, which is built to summarize the rules through analyzing a bunch of music scores, this could quickly give you the inspiration to lay down a good track.
Video SneakPeek
Key Features
- Strum, Finger two sample libraries.
- 14 Strum notes + 28 ways to play for every chord.
- Strum Legato – legato articulations can be played while strumming.
- Strum SEQ with customized rhythm.
- 4 humanization settings.
- Controllable Resonance Sound.
- Rich Fingering Sound.
- Multiple Capo Logics – providing various options of automatic fingering logic to cover different performances such as solo, chorus, and so on.
- CPC (Customized Parameters Control) – any controller can be controlled by MIDI CC or Automation.
- and so much more
System Requirements
- Windows 7/8/10, 64-bit only (32-bit not supported) and Mac 10.9 or higher.
- VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, and Standalone host.
- 10 GB Hard Disk, Intel i5 or higher.
3.) Taylor Acoustic Guitar ($15.00)
Taylor Acoustic Guitar is the most affordable guitar, it is around $15, but what do you get for this price?
The answer is a sampled model of the Taylor 810 Acoustic guitar for its pristine and soothing sounds. According to the manufacturer:
We sampled Taylor Acoustic Guitar with the excellent Lawson Tube microphone and it sounds amazing. To top it off we have included more than just single note samples. We’ve also included fret noise, harmonics, up and down strummed chords, and muted chord “chunks”.
This is one of the most popular virtual guitars out there, and honestly, I was forced to try it after seeing a couple of great reviews about it, for the price point, you won’t see anything better.
Key Features
Acoustic Instruments Vst Free Downloads
- A model of Taylor 810 Acoustic Guitar
- Fret noise, harmonics, up and down strummed chords and a muted chord
System Requirments
- Windows 7 or higher, and OS X Version 10.8 or higher
- Minimum 2GB RAM, 4GB Recommended
- A VST 32/64 or AAX 32/64 compatible host application
- A FREE iLok account & manager is required for authorization of this software – no iLok USB key is required
4.) Fractured: Prepared Acoustic Guitar ($99.95)
Fractured is a Kontakt Instrument by Big Fish Audio. Whether you would be using it musically or sound designing, Fractures is the right Prepared Acoustic Guitar for you. It isn’t just an acoustic guitar instrument but an innovative new collection of instruments featuring creative and esoteric samples and manipulations of various acoustic guitars.
Big Fish Audio Fractured features 2.3GB of compressed samples and more than one hundred new instruments with numerous variations and effects built into each. One feature I dig about Fractured is the playable and dynamic rhythmic loops and patterns. If that isn’t enough for you, you still have multitimbral arpeggiated creations, huge cinematic impacts, gritty electronic drums, gnarly and much more.
What makes Fractured stood apart from others is the built-in Drum Kits made with mallets, fingernail scrapes, metal scrapes, cardboard scraps, and pouring rice over the guitar.
Video SneakPeek
Key Features
- Sub-divided Instruments: Chromatic Kits, Drum Kits, Melodic, Pads & SFX and Tempo Synced
- You can tweak the instrument further using: Quantization, Envelope controls (attack and release), Stereo spread, Effects (reverb, delay, drive, flanger, vibrato, rotator, wobble, and others), AutoPan and more
- 2.3GB of Compressed samples.
- Over 100 patches of creative and esoteric samples and manipulations of various acoustic guitars.
- The library includes the free Kontakt Player 5
System Requirements
- Windows 7 Intel Core Duo or higher, and Macintosh OS 10.6.8 Inter Core Duo or higher
- A minimum of 2GB Ram and requires at least 3GB of free hard drive space.
- Fractured will run in standalone mode and is also compatible with the Major DAW such as Fl Studio, Apple Logic & GarageBand, MOTU Digital Performer, Digidesign Pro Tools (8 and higher), Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo, Ableton Live, and more.
5.) Blue Cat’s Re-Guitar ($99.00)
The last acoustic guitar on the list is the Blue Cat’s Re-Guitar, which is design to emulate many kinds of guitar tones, be it an acoustic or an electric guitar, this is especially handy in a project where you wouldn’t like to be switching various guitar instruments.
The way Blue Cats Re-Guitar works is letting you choose from a selection of popular guitar pickups, and it emulates the electric guitar pickup without you needing to modify them. You can also dig and expand the body “in the box” to craft your own hollow body guitar tone thanks to the body simulator. In addition to that, it includes a selection of acoustic guitar simulations, and you can craft your own too.
Video SneakPeek
Key Features
- Guitar tone modeler with electric pickups, acoustic guitars, and hollow body emulations.
- Built-in single-coil pickups: single hot, vintage, modern, active, tele, neck+mid, bridge+mid, P90, P90J.
- Built-in humbucker pickups: vintage, classic, ricky, modern, rails, bright, wide, wide(jazz), jazz box.
- Built-in piezo & acoustic guitars: solid body piezo, acoustic sim pedals, modern & vintage dreadnought, jumbo, mini jumbo, 000, small.
- Create your own electric pickups or acoustic guitar emulations with the custom electric and custom acoustic models.
- Adjust hollow body thickness and amount.
- Adjust simulations brightness and gain.
- Built-in virtual volume and tone pots.
- No latency.
System Requirements
Acoustic Instruments Vst Free Download
- Windows Vista or higher (Pentium 4 or newer), and Mac OS 10.7 or higher(intel processor.).
- Any VST/AAX/AU compatible host software (32 or 64 bit).
- Any sample rate supported.