Best Guitar VST Plugins:
The Definitive List  [2021]

Now, the Vir2 Acou6tics is a versatile, flawless-sounding beauty that captures the essence of six acoustic instruments with utmost precision and detail.

Specifically, it presents six instruments, including a guitalele, steel-string guitar, twelve-string, nylon-string, ukulele, and mandolin.

And guess what?

It provides for plectrum and fingerpicking options, Blumlein stereo recordings as well as piezo-based sources.

Even better, the plugin comes with thousands of samples crosscutting numerous articulations specially recorded for each instrument.

Talk about releases, sustains, mutes, legato, hammer-ons, harmonics, effects, and more.

The real kicker, however, lies in the smart playback engine that ensures inputs translate to the desired guitar effects.

Ideally, the engine analyzes inputs in real-time and interprets them based on patch settings to deliver expected realistic sounds.

Of course, the menu will be a tad intimidating, but the versatile controls nonetheless allow unlimited tweakability and behavior customization.

All things considered, Vir2 Acou6tics comes as an excellent way to include warm, organic, and engaging sound to audio projects.

Looking to electrify your sound with powerful guitar tones?

Electri6ity brings all the power and authenticity necessary for the job.

At its core are eight revered guitar tones alongside 24000 24-bit samples precisely recorded from each guitar.

The wide array of exceptional samples enables the playing of individual articulations on each fret of every string.

Whether you are all about downstrokes, upstrokes, ghost notes, mutes, harmonics, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, or releases, you got it all.

All Electri6ity has to offer is presented in three main pages, namely the Performance, Settings, Effects, and Fretboard page.

The Performance pages grant access to crucial playback settings such as guitar pickup, volume, vibrato, release, and strum behavior.

You can easily tweak the variables thanks to the integral advanced scripting capabilities made possible by VIR2’s revolutionary Articulation Morphing Technology and Velocity Morphing Technology.

And in case you need more control, the Settings page leaves everything in your hands.

You can manipulate the strings, Fretboard, tone, legato, strumming, picking, noise, and so much more.

That’s not all. You’ll love the Effects page steps in with stunning sounds, including Jazz, Classical, Metal, and Clean.

Finally, you have the Fretboard showing the origin of sample triggers allowing seamless interpretation of chords and notes.

Then again, the instruments are categorized into five folders, namely Chromatic Kits, Drum Kits, Melodic, Pads & SFX, and Tempo Synced.

You’ll be happy to know each instrument bears the real taste of the acoustic guitar (of course, with new tone inflections that add dimension).

Also worth noting, the plugin is housed in a user-friendly interface that allows seamless customization.

And since the controls are tailor-made for each of its over a hundred instruments, once you load an instrument, suitable knobs pop up on the interface to allow seamless tweaking.

From quantization, attack and release, stereo spread, Lo/hi-pass filters, and layer blend controls, it presents it all.

Don't forget.

There are wide-ranging effects such as flanger, vibrato, reverb, delay, and more.

Ample sound's product lineup boasts of serious high-end acoustic guitar instruments.

And this bundle is a bright display of the brand’s impressive quality.

First of all, the Series includes instruments that emulate leading classic archetypes of the acoustics world.

Talk of Spanish-style classical to the 1930’s Style American dreadnought and American steel-string.

As expected of any Amplesound instrument, the instruments here-in employ in-house guitar-oriented engine.

Similarly, they have matching range and base key switches

In short, the Series offers the bare minimum you'd expect from a properly sampled guitar.

Round-robins, velocity layers, configurable performance noises with volume control, detailed sequencing of guitar parts, and other unusual extras.

If you are looking for a pro-grade electrical guitar VST instrument, the Amplesound Electric Guitar Series is worth checking out for many reasons.

To begin with, each instrument in the Series offers in-depth control.

Right from the UI, users are granted access to seemingly limitless capabilities for curating live guitar performances.

Although it will take a little practice to make the most of each instrument- brilliant results are always possible in no time.

One particular highlight across the Series is the strummer page.

From this page, users can manage the strumming engine and work with different preset patterns.

You can also control stroke times and volumes, body resonance, humanization option, and more.

Of course, no unit in the Series is complete without basic effects and alternative play modes.

So you can work on naturally sounding lines and strumming sound in line with your needs.

All in all, the Amplesound Electric Guitar Series presents expressive guitar modules that are functional and versatile.

Imagine two detailed virtual instruments that offer great metal and bass guitar sound.

A dual set that comes with features that makes it easy to generate realistic performances.

You couldn’t be wrong guessing the Amplesound Metal Series.

The Series is composed of the Ample Metal Eclipse III, Ample Metal Ray5 III, and Ample Metal Hellrazer modules- all standing out as premium creations for modern sound production.

In particular, the Ample Metal Eclipse III is sampled after the Japanese ESP Eclipse I guitar.

The Ample Metal Ray5 III features samples from the American MusicMan String.

The mahogany body Ample Metal Hellrazer features unique 9 string samples from the Schecter Hellraiser C-9 guitar, which is suited for heavy metal styles.

On matters sound, the Eclipse III comes as a darker and warmer tool optimized for actualizing big and heavy sound.

And it features the usual metal sound and tuning ideal for nearly all metal music.

By contrast, Ray5 III is bright and hard-hitting and is better suited for rock music.

In use, the Ray5 III boasts of incredible detail, impressive choice range of performance noises with volume controls, among other handy inclusions.

Remember, as independent modules, each plugin utilizes Amplesound's propriety guitar-oriented engine.

That means the features are guitar-specific to ensure optimal performance.

Quite simply, the Acoustic and Nylon Guitar Bundle is a sample-based Kontakt library that takes after Taylor acoustic guitars.

Topping its list of offerings are over 3000 samples that easily tweakable.

Again, it features 14 dynamic layers for each note as well as 17 frets on every string with round-robin.

In use, the plugin employs a special string selection module to ensure the virtual playing hand is always in the right playing position in line with MIDI input.

As if that isn’t enough, it offers three distinct modes for automatic chord position search, 14 unique articulations, multiple FX and noises, and so much more.

Next up! If you are looking for an all-in-one virtual electric guitar plugin package, here comes a good bet.

The Ily Efimov Electric Guitar Bundle is a comprehensive sound production solution that comprises of four detailed emulations that bring realistic nuances of some legendary guitars.

Specifically, the bundle comprises the LP Guitar, LP Strum, TC Guitar, and TC Strum modules.

Each module features thousands of samples, about a dozen velocity layers, 23 frets of each string with round-robin, 14 unique articulations, and three modes for automatic search of chord position.

Beyond that, you have automatic and manual string selection as well as automatic and manual left hand playing, volume and tone control, a variety of effects, and more.

And as sample-based modules, the manufacturer has left nothing to chance in efforts to allow an extensive dynamic sound range.

As such, one can easily tailor realistic and detailed guitar sound that suits particular needs.

Sensational is perhaps the best word that summarizes the Prominy Hummingbird Acoustic Guitar.

For starters, it re-creates the essence of the GIbson® 1963 Hummingbird.

As an ultra-sounding virtual acoustic guitar tailored to aid the process of crafting natural guitar tones, it stretches the limits of acoustic guitar emulations.

For one, it comes loaded with about 80 GB 89000 samples and allows extensive playing techniques.

Similarly, it features a Lossless Sample Compression format and real-time ultra-realistic playability.

That way, users can compose original guitar tracks with much ado.

Other notable offerings include Intelligent Instrument Key Switch with chord recognition, double-tracking, multiple guitar percussion samples, customizable strum key, real sampled/emulated chords, and more

As an SPI (Super Performance Instrument) it includes Auto Stroke Detection

In a nutshell, the Hummingbirds opens the door to the world of ultra-realistic and real-time acoustic guitar performance.

Yet another authentic-sounding virtual guitar, the Prominy SC Electric Guitar, recreates the sound of the Fender® Stratocaster®.

With a massive 64 GB, 123000 samples, emulating the sound of the inspiring hardware guitar to the core can’t be any easier.

At its core is the real-time playability that enables access to an extensive range of playing techniques.

It means, in the blink of an eye, you can switch from one playing technique to another without halting performance.

And the best part is- the quality of results isn't compromised even with the speedy processing.

Moving on, the plugin also features up to five pickups so users can record direct signals simultaneously via independent output jacks.

As if that is not enough, all the pickup positions can be replicated thanks to the high-quality sampling.

Beyond the incredible expression power, V-METAl further features a resourceful fretboard monitor that provides for automatic string/fret position selection and displays the current position of the same.

That's not all.

The plugin is made complete with other handy features like auto-stroke detection, an extensive collection of real code samples, double-tracking, and many more.

Now, although the Prominy isn’t as massive as it’s counterparts, it nonetheless packs enough punch for creating natural-sounding metal guitar tracks.

In the first place, it comes as a dark-powered virtual electric guitar that emulates the ESP® Alexi Blacky with EMG® humbucker pickup.

And it comes with about 19GB of approximately 26000 samples.

And thanks to the SPM (Super Performance Multi) feature, it can automatically select the most suitable string/fret position in line with current needs.

Alternatively, you can go the "manual way" with key switches because the Fretboard monitor dully visualizes the fret position and playing technique in use.

Other handy features of interest include feedback features, extensive chord samples, double-tracking, auto-code detection, assignable switchable keys, and real-time legato side.

We could go on and on.

Imagine having the beautiful sound of the 1962 Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar at the convenience of your computer.

With the Acousticsamples Sunbird, all that is now possible.

Just like the hardware it emulates, the Sunbird is quite versatile.

It is optimized to work for various genres with impressive results, no matter the situation.

Wondering what makes this plugin special?

First, the sampling captured incredible detail from bass to mono and stereo perspective.

Then again, the recording goes deep, taking into account every possible articulation.

In application, Sunbird presents up to four switchable playing modes, including solo, chord, patterns, and MIDI mode.

As such, you can get in action with any operation mode that suits your needs.

But probably nothing makes this tool stand out like the strumming engine that provides for multiple tweaking possibilities.

By and large, the GD-6 mirrors the Sunbird library when it comes to features and functionality.

Of course, it primarily emulates the Guild D-40 custom edition electro-acoustic guitar.

But, as a virtual model, it has been improved by including additional utility features.

Otherwise, it is deeply sampled, taking all frets of all strings with everything from upstrokes, downstrokes, round-robins, releases, staccatos, and more.

With its incredible detailing, producing realistic guitar performance is easily achievable.

When it comes to playing, GD-6 presents four modes that users can alternate via key switches.

From solo mode to chord mode and patterns mode as well as MIDI mode, you can enjoy seamless playability as necessary.

Thanks to its built-in strumming engine, the GD-6 can strum in different ways.

Better yet, all the elements of the engine can be tuned to deliver specific sound requirements.

Other exciting features include a selection of adaptable realistic patterns, a pattern maker, song builder, preferences panel, and more.